The state allocates funding for a program of special education for students with disabilities using an excess cost formula.? For eligible students in kindergarten through age 21 (K-21), the formula multiplies a school district's base allocation by an excess cost multiplier up to an enrollment limit of 16 percent of a school district's full-time student enrollment. ?K-21 students receiving special education generate funding through both the base allocation and excess cost formulas.?

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School districts receive a tiered excess cost multiplier based on inclusion in a general education setting for K-21 special education students.? A multiplier of 1.12 is provided for special education students that spend at least 80 percent of the school day in a general education setting.? For students in a general education setting less than 80 percent of the time, districts receive a 1.06 multiplier.? Funding has been provided in the last three biennial operating budgets for professional development to promote the inclusion of special education students within general education classrooms.

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Prior to kindergarten, students ages 3 to 5 (Pre-K) receiving special education services receive a multiplier of 1.2.? Children with disabilities ages birth to 3 that receive early intervention services though the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program receive a multiplier of 1.15.

Excess Cost Multipliers.

For K-21 students spending 80 percent or more of the school day in a general education setting, the multiplier is increased from 1.12 to 1.18.? For K-21 students spending less than 80 percent of the school day in a general education setting, the multiplier is increased from 1.06 to 1.09.

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The multiplier for ESIT students ages birth to 3 is increased from 1.15 to the multiplier used for Pre-K students receiving special education services, which is currently 1.2.

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Inclusionary Practices Grants to Schools.

Subject to amounts appropriated, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must award grants to up to 25 pilot schools to support school-wide centers of excellence for inclusionary practices.? Selected schools will receive grant funding to bring them to a multiplier of 1.5 for special education students each year for four school years.?

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Pilot schools must be diverse geographically and in enrollment size.? Schools must be selected based on the following criteria:

• demonstrated engagement and commitment to inclusionary practices from school leadership and faculty, which can include, but is not limited to, a willingness to make master schedule changes for collaboration time, a plan for transformational change, broad communication of changes in practice, and a commitment to and understanding of universal design for learning;
• appropriate training for all school staff, including classified staff, in inclusionary practices, or a plan for all staff to receive the training by the end of the following school year;
• data demonstrating success or recent improvements in inclusionary practices; and
• sustained training and support for inclusionary practices after the initial training.

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The OSPI must report recipients, grant amounts, and the effectiveness of the grants in increasing staff training for inclusionary practices and improving student outcomes to the Legislature beginning December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter.

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Funding for the grant program is specified as outside the state's statutory program of basic education.