Houston Public Media

Texas lawmakers last year increased funding for disabled students after decades of underfunding. Now, the state must figure out what equipment, training, and other services that $250 million will go toward. The Texas Education Agency is surveying professionals who provide special education services to students for detailed information on what they do and how they do it. TEA Deputy Commissioner Kristin McGuire said a portion of House Bill 2, the state’s recent education funding measure, is designed to improve special education delivery by “looking at those special ed services that the child is receiving to determine how can we more efficiently and better cover the cost of educating students with disabilities.” The TEA is asking providers what training and certifications they need, equipment used to help disabled students, and the frequency of services provided, to name just a few elements of special education. These details were never sought before, let alone used to determine funding.