Texas Senate Votes to Transform Special Education Funding

The Texas Senate has approved Senate Bill 568, legislation that aims to reform the way special education services are funded in the state. This bill introduces a major shift by moving away from a location-based funding model to one that is based on the type and intensity of services provided. Authored by Senator Paul Bettencourt (R), the bill seeks to provide more targeted funding to meet the specific needs of students in special education programs.

“For the three-quarters of a million Texas public school students who receive special education services, this is a transformative step forward,” Bettencourt said during the Senate debate. “We’re making a transformative step for special education across the state.”

Currently, the state uses a setting-based funding model, which allocates funds based on where a student receives services, such as in a special resource room, at home, or in a facility. Under the new bill, funding will be allocated according to the intensity of services a student needs, which Bettencourt believes will ensure resources are directed where they are most needed.

Senator Brandon Creighton (R), who chairs the Senate Education Committee, praised the bill as a significant improvement over previous efforts to address special education funding. He noted that, since 2004, Texas has struggled with a range of issues regarding special education funding, including a previous 8.5 percent cap on the number of students who could receive special education services — a cap that was only removed in 2016.

“SB 568 feels like the first time we’ve had a real road map to closing some of those funding gaps in a lasting way,” Creighton said.

The bill includes $700 million in funding to support the new intensity-based funding model, along with additional resources for transportation services, teacher training in special education and dyslexia instruction, and initial evaluations that determine students’ learning challenges.

One key feature of SB 568 is its emphasis on transparency. Parents will be able to ensure that their children are receiving the services they are entitled to under the new funding structure.

While the bill has passed the Senate, it now heads to the Texas House for consideration. If approved, it promises to bring significant improvements to how Texas supports its students with special needs.