Tracking the special education dollars that support services for students with disabilities attending public schools is complicated; attempting to track the funds to autonomous public charter schools is even more so. Public schools, traditional and charter alike, receive their operating revenues from three primary sources: local property taxes, state per-pupil allocations, and federal categorical-aid programs. The aggregate resources available to provide services to students with disabilities in public schools is a function of both 1) funding available to public schools generally, and 2) funding designated to support special education and related services in particular.
Understanding how dollars flow to charter schools requires consideration of multiple and overlapping federal, state, and local district formulas and policies, and understanding how state policymakers have retrofitted these policies and procedures to include autonomous charter schools.
Download DocumentPublication Date: 02/11/2015
