Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

H.13 Summary: Funding Special Needs Policy

Policy statement
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/serious mental illness.

Rationale
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.

Legislation/ regulations
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.

Levels and categories:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Dependent Handicapped (A)
Deaf/Blind (B) 		Moderate to Profound Intellectual Disabilities (C)
Physically Disabled or Chronic Health Impairment (D)
Visually Impairment (E)
Deaf or Hard of Hearing Impairment (F)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (G) 		Intensive Behaviour Interventions or Serious Mental Illness (H)

Policy
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. Eligible students who have been reported as one of the three categories of special needs identified above, and who are provided with a Special Needs program, generate 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 full-day Kindergarten program will be funded as one full-time equivalent (FTE).

Level 1 eligible students generate $32,000 per full time FTE.
Level 2 eligible students generate $16,000 per FTE.
Level 3 eligible students generate $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 school boards 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 Learning (DL) programs. To qualify for DL funding, school boards must adhere to program requirements and procedures as outlined in "Requirements and guidelines for students with special needs taking a distributed learning program".

Procedures
Students are reported to the ministry on the K-12 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:

  • 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 special education services on a regular basis that are beyond those offered to the general population and that are proportionate to their level of need(s).

Provincial Resource Program (PRP) Grants
Under the provisions of section 115 of the School Act, grants are provided to school districts that administer Provincial Resource Programs. The ministry provides funding to the host district to meet its costs for operating the Programs, within the guidelines for various components of a program. Budget proposals are submitted for special purpose grants annually. Section F of this manual describes the programs’ funding procedures and criteria for eligibility

For some Provincial Resource Programs that are not residential programs in which students are placed by another ministry, the Ministry of Education reimburses districts for the approved costs of the student’s transportation.

Specialized Equipment Grants
Funds are provided on an annual basis to assist school boards in providing the specialized equipment required by students reported to the ministry for Level 1, 2, or 3 funding.

References/ resources
Funding Allocation System
K-12 Form 1701 Instructions


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