15-774. Extraordinary special education needs fund; grant application; criteria

A. The extraordinary special education needs fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations, gifts, grants and donations. Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The state board of education shall administer the fund.

B. A school district or charter school may apply to the state board of education for an extraordinary special education needs grant from the fund. The state board of education shall prescribe the format of the applications. The applications shall include the following:

1. Demonstration of extraordinary needs, including a description and documentation of pupil services required and evidence that the district or charter school is not able to absorb the costs of these services.

2. Evidence that monies from the fund will not supplant federal, local or other state efforts.

3. Evidence that before making an application for monies from the fund the school district or charter school has made sufficient efforts to seek but has not received funding to cover the extraordinary costs applied for pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection from all other sources, including federal and other state sources of funding.

C. Extraordinary special education needs grants shall be used in the current year. All unspent grant monies shall be returned to the department of education at the end of the fiscal year for deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, in the extraordinary special education needs fund.