Funding Special Education
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Chaikind (1993) reports that national special education expenditure research shows that the average total per pupil special education costs are about 2.3 times the cost of regular education. Moreover, Chaikind states that over the past 20 years, total costs for special education have consistently been approximately twice the cost of regular education. These statistics highlight the importance of answering the following question: How are school districts finding money for their special education program and facilities? The purpose of this paper is to explore the pertinent literature in an effort to answer this question. Methods of Funding and Finding Funds One way in which the country's school districts are funding special education programs and facilities is that they are using a variety of funding sources. According to the Center for Special Education Finance (CSEF, 1999), most school districts obtain funds for special education from state, local and federal sources. In this regard, the CSEF reports that, on average, about 56 percent of special education funding comes from state moneys. An additional 36 percent of funding comes from local sources while the remaining 8 percent comes from the federal government. The CSEF (1999), however, goes on to note that many states are currently considering some sort of reform regarding special education funding. The organization notes that: States are currently struggling to provide FAPE (f
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staff development, building modifications, and materials, equipment, and transportation funds.
Using diverse funding sources and funding formulas are not the only way in which school districts are attempting to finance their special education programs facilities. Carlson (1993) reports that schools and school districts, especially rural or small schools, rely rather heavily on local funds for special education. It is noted that currently, schools are becoming more creative and more energetic and using a variety of fundraising options. These options are said to include:
1. Ad hoc events such as raffles.
2. Annual events such as The Annual Bake Sale.
3. Special events such as "Las Vegas Night" in which people play bingo or some game.
4. Rental such as renting space or equipment to individual and groups in the community.
5. The use of direct mailing to request funds for contributions.
6. Sending out surveys that combine requests for feedback on the school with a request for contributions.
7. Developing A-Dopt-A student programs.
8. Holding auctions of donate equipment, services, and/or products.
9. Forming school-business partnerships.
10. Developing lifelong learning programs designed to generate income beyond c
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Approximate Word count = 2065
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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