Ministry Policy Site

K-12 Funding - Special Needs

Issued September 1, 2002
In effect March 1, 2002

Current policy

Students with special needs may require additional support and accommodations to enable them to access and participate in educational programs. The Basic Allocation, a standard amount of money provided per school age student enrolled in a school district, includes funds to support the learning needs of students who are identified as having learning disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, students requiring moderate behaviour supports and students who are gifted. Additional supplementary funding recognizes the additional cost of providing programs for students with special needs in the following categories: dependent handicapped, deafblind, moderate to profound intellectual disabled, physically disabled/chronic health impaired, visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and intensive behaviour interventions or serious mental illness.

In order to provide an inclusive education system in which students with special needs are fully participating members of a community of learners, additional support may be required by means of additional staff, specialized learning materials, physical accommodations or equipment, and assessments to enable them to meet their educational and social needs.

Section 106.3 (5) of the School Act provides the legal authority for special needs funding.

See also Ministerial Order M150/89, the Special Needs Students Order.

(See the K-12 Form Instructions for additional information)

In order for a student to qualify for Special Needs funding, the student must be appropriately assessed and identified, and have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in place.

Students who have been reported on the Form 1701 as one of the three categories of special needs identified above, and who are provided with a Special Needs program, are eligible for Special Needs funding, which is provided in addition to the Basic Allocation.

Kindergarten students with special needs in Level 1 or Level 2 enrolled full time in an eligible (see K-12 Form Instructions for additional information) full-day Kindergarten program will be funded as one full-time equivalent (FTE).

Level 1 students will be funded at $32,000 per full time equivalent (FTE).

Level 2 students will be funded at $16,000 per FTE.

Level 3 students will be funded at $8,000 per FTE.

The Basic Allocation provided for all students includes funds to support students with other special needs, including students with Mild Intellectual Disability, Learning Disability, Moderate Behaviour Support/Mental Illness, and students who are gifted. The Basic Allocation also includes funds to support Boards of Education in providing learning assistance, speech-language pathology services, hospital homebound services, and assessment services.

A student with special needs may also be eligible to receive funding for Aboriginal Education or English as a Second Language if the requirements of these programs are also met.

Students with special needs may be enrolled in Distributed Electronic Learning (DEL) programs. To qualify for funding, Boards of Education must adhere to program requirements and procedures as outlined in "Requirements and Guidelines for Students with special needs taking an electronic Distributed Learning (formerly distance education/distance electronic learning) program".

Students should be reported on the Form 1701 in the appropriate category.

School boards will be funded for each eligible FTE student at the corresponding per FTE amount listed above.

Documentation to support the claim for Level 1, 2 and 3 students must include: (refer to K12 Form Instructions for full details)

• Assessment and identification in relation to the criteria for that category
• Current Individual Education Plan (IEP) containing appropriate goals for category of student
• Support services outlined in the IEP related to the student's needs
• Evidence that a parent has been offered the opportunity to consult on the IEP
• Evidence of learning activities offered in accordance with IEP
• Methods for measuring the student's progress.

Students claimed in Levels 1 through 3 must be receiving additional special education services on a regular basis, other than Learning Assistance, Speech/Language Pathology, Counselling, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, and Hospital/Homebound Instruction.

Funding Allocation System

K-12 Form Instructions

Special Education Policy

Requirements and Guidelines for Students with special needs taking an electronic distance program

If you have any questions relating to the K-12 Funding Special Needs Policy, please contact Education.FundingAllocationUnit@gov.bc.ca