Special-ed fund’s $3M rejected again

A proposal to add $3 million to the spending authority for the special education catastrophic fund in the coming fiscal year failed to clear the Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday for the third time in this year’s fiscal session.

Twelve senators — three shy of the 15 needed — voted for an amendment proposed by Rep. Michael John Gray, D-Augusta, to Senate Bill 33, the appropriation bill to the Department of Education for grants and aid to local school districts and special programs. The committee later declined to expunge the vote to clear the way for another vote on the amendment.

The money in the fund is available to school districts to use for students’ individualized education plans, Gray said.

He said the 2017 Legislature increased the funding for the special education catastrophic fund by $2 million, to $13 million. His proposal would increase the amount to $16 million. School districts have demonstrated a need for $27 million in funding this year — up from $21 million last year — based on their applications to the department, which decides whether to provide funding on case-bycase basis, Gray said.

State Budget Director Duncan Baird said he opposes the proposed amendment because Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson hasn’t provided funding for Gray’s amendment in his proposed budget for fiscal 2019.