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ERIC Number: ED508480
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Apr
Pages: 20
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Fiscal Impact of a Tuition Assistance Grant for Virginia's Special Education Students. Parent Choice Issues in the State
Aud, Susan L.
Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation
Parents of students with disabilities face a number of difficult choices in determining how to get the best education for their children. Too often, the special education system in public schools fails its students. Parents must become both experts and advocates for their children in order to navigate a burdensome maze of regulations to fight for their children's education. And when this process fails to produce results, as it frequently does because it allows parents little to no power, parents' only option is to sue their own children's schools--an option that few can afford to exercise. A Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) would provide a workable alternative for special education students enrolled in public schools that are not meeting their needs, by allowing parents to use a portion of the public funding associated with their child's education at a licensed private school of their choice. This would allow parents to place their child in the best setting for that child's unique educational needs, whether that setting happens to be in a public school or private school. This study analyzes the fiscal impact of implementing such a policy in Virginia. It uses the most recent available data on Virginia school division revenue to calculate the amount of revenue that does not vary with enrollment, which is left behind in school divisions after students leave, creating a financial windfall. It also uses the most recent available data on Virginia special education spending to calculate the difference between the funds generated for school divisions by each student and the amount that school divisions spend on special education services per student. (Contains 5 tables and 12 endnotes.) [This study was released jointly by the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy.]
Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation. Available from: Foundation for Educational Choice. One American Square Suite 2420, Indianapolis, IN 46282. Tel: 317-681-0745; Fax: 317-681-0945; e-mail: info@edchoice.org; Web site: http://www.edchoice.org
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A