July 13th, 2011
IDEA Money Watch has obtained the information submitted by the ARKANSAS Dept. of Education to the U.S. Dept. of Education regarding reduction to local spending (maintenance of effort or MOE) and use of federal IDEA funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) for each school district for the 2009 fiscal year. Get the Arkansas information here. (PDF, 36 pgs)
This information is important because it indicates if school districts reduced local spending in light of IDEA Recovery Act funds in FY 2009. IDEA does not require that local districts replace these funds when the Recovery funds run out, putting services for students with disabilities at risk.
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January 27th, 2011
According to the January 7, 2011, report from the US Dept. of Education, Arkansas has obligated 69% of its available IDEA Recovery Act funds, or 77,352,088.59.
41,440,259.03 remains uncommitted and must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2011.
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October 8th, 2010
According to spending reports released by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Arkansas has obligated 59% of its IDEA Part B Recovery funds, or $66,709,792 as of September 30, 2010. The national average is 50%. Spending details by local school district are available at EdMoney.org.
Current spending reports are always available here. All IDEA Recovery Act funds must be obligated by September 30, 2011.
Tags: ARRA, IDEA, Recovery Act, Special Education, Stimulus, students with disabilities
Posted in Arkansas IDEA Money Watch | No Comments »
August 9th, 2010
Arkansas based blog “Eye Contact Arkansas” has been following how Arkansas is is using their IDEA ARRA Education Stimulus Funds:
Federal stimulus spending on special education programs can now be found online. My own local PCSSD, North Little Rock, and Little Rock school districts have not filed their IDEA funding programs. The school districts are listed alphabetically. TheIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act ARRA Plan contains your district’s special education stimulus plan.
LINK: SCHOOL DISTRICT IDEA SPENDING
While some of the spending may not have been necessary–it seemed as if every school district had to buy a school bus, if not a sound system–so far the strangest request I saw was for a pedicure chair for high school vocational training of special education students.
To keep reading click here…..
Also check out Eye Contact’s post:
For many families with autism, the local school is one of the most critical resources for getting assistance. The local school receives funds from both the State of Arkansas and the U.S. government. The Schools for the Deaf and Blind are not governed by the Arkansas special education department but are used to educate disabled children.
Each Arkansas school district collects local taxes, state funding for education, and federal education funds. All three are used to pay for education. What’s listed below are the Arkansas monies for special education in the state. It doesn’t include regular education funds or medical expenses.
To keep reading about the 2010 Arkansas Special Education Budget click here……..
Keep up the good work Eye Contact!
Tags: ARRA, ESE, IDEA, IEP, Special Education, Stimulus
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May 26th, 2010
Little Rock
Little Rock School District will allocate approximately one-third of its State Fiscal Stabilization Fund dollars to update technology and bring interactive Whiteboards into core classrooms. Another one-third of the funds will be used for building modernizations and needed repairs. The remaining funds will provide additional academic support in classrooms.
In addition, the district will use most of the Title I funds on programs to improve student achievement, such as summer school, after-school tutoring, and school-based math and literacy coaches. Remaining Title I funding will support the updating of technology in the classrooms.
For the full report Click Here.
Tags: ARRA, ESE, IDEA, IEP, Special Education, Stimulus
Posted in Arkansas IDEA Money Watch | No Comments »
January 7th, 2010
Thanks to the Disability Rights Center in Little Rock for their assistance in obtaining the LEA ratings for Arkansas. (As we reported earlier, the Arkansas Dept. of Education refused to honor our request for this information.)
These ratings are important because they determine LEA eligibility to reduce local spending on special education when increases in federal funds occur. Since the Recovery Act provided a significant increase in federal funds, LEAs may reduce local spending if they received a “Meets Requirements” rating from the state. Information obtained from ADE indicates that:
19 School Districts received a Needs Assistance rating
234 School Districts received a Meets Requirements rating
Complete information is available here.
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November 24th, 2009
IDEA Money Watch — along with the Center for Law and Education – has been requesting the LEA ratings (aka determinations) from every state. We have done this by submitting a request for public records to each state department of education.
To date, all states have complied with our request — except Arkansas. In a reply, Arkansas stated that the state public record act only requires response to requests submitted by state citizens!.
We hope that Arkansas parents and advocates for students with disabilities realize the absurdity of this position!
In fact, on October 21, 2009, the U.S. Department of Education encouraged all states to inform the public of the criteria used in making LEA determinations and the determination category of each LEA in the State by posting this information on the SEA’s Internet Web site. IDEA Money Watch hopes that Arkansas will honor this suggestion and post the LEA determinations on its state department of education web site.
Arkansas…we are waiting….
Posted in Arkansas IDEA Money Watch | 1 Comment »
April 8th, 2009
Arkansas will receive $112,177,929 in IDEA Part B Recovery Act funds to improve services to its 54,170 school age students with disabilities. We will report on how the state is using these funds.
Share your comments.
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