ORS 327.348 High Cost Disabilities Account; grants; approved costs; rules

There is established within the State School Fund a High Cost Disabilities Account.

Each fiscal year, the Department of Education shall distribute moneys from the account to school districts as high cost disabilities grants. A school district may receive moneys from the account if the school district has a resident pupil with a disability for whom the approved costs to the school district of providing special education and related services, as determined under subsection (4) of this section, exceed $30,000.

The amount of moneys received by a school district under this section for each resident pupil with a disability shall equal the approved costs, as determined under subsection (4) of this section, incurred by the school district in providing special education and related services to the pupil minus $30,000.

The department shall determine the approved costs incurred by a school district in providing special education and related services to a pupil with a disability. The approved costs incurred by a school district may include costs incurred by an education service district of providing special education and related services to the school district through the resolution process described in ORS 334.175. In determining the approved costs for which a school district may receive moneys under this section, the department shall consider:

How efficiently the special education and related services are provided by the school district; and

The use of available resources by the school district.

If the total approved costs for which school districts are seeking moneys from the account exceed the amount in the account in any fiscal year, the department shall prorate the amount of moneys available for distribution in the account among those school districts that are eligible for moneys from the account.

The department shall distribute any moneys in the account that are not distributed under this section in any fiscal year to school districts based on ORS 327.008 and 327.013.

The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary for the administration of this section.