Your district's special education money would be set by new formulas for two school years
What it does
HB 361 would set the special education funding formulas under the Foundation School Program for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years. The state education commissioner would have to adjust the weights and amounts and write the formulas, and the estimated statewide total for 2026-2027 would be about $250 million more than the amount allowed under the old Section 48.102 formula as it stood on September 1, 2025. No district could get less for 2027-2028 than it got for 2026-2027, and the commissioner would have to meet federal rules on state and local financial support. The bill would take effect right away if it gets the two-thirds vote needed, and otherwise on September 1, 2027.
What it means for your community
Special education funding in your district would follow new formulas for the next two school years instead of the current ones. The $250 million figure is a statewide estimate, so the bill does not say how much any one district or campus would gain. What districts can count on is that their special education allotment for 2027-2028 cannot be less than the amount they received for 2026-2027. The commissioner would also have to keep state and local financial support in line with federal special education law, so the local share of the cost would still matter.
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