Special Education State Funding

State special education funding comes from multiple sources, including state categorical aid, Catastrophic Aid, the Kansas Deaf-Blind Fund, and State Medicaid. 

State Categorical Aid Including Catastrophic Aid 

Categorical aid helps with the cost of implementing Individualized Education Program (IEP) services over and above the regular education that all students are entitled to receive. All expenditures claimed for reimbursement under categorical aid must have been paid from the Local Education Agency (LEA)’s special education funds.  

Students are only eligible for catastrophic aid if the costs of providing services exceed twice the per teacher entitlement for categorical aid from the prior school year after deducting all other state and/or federal aid for the student 

State Categorical Aid including Catastrophic Aid 

This link directs users to the KSDE Categorical Aid Webpage 


Questions about state categorical aid: cataid@ksde.gov

Questions about Catastrophic Aid: Mason Vosburgh

Questions about Personnel Categorical Aid (PCA) -Special Teacher Reimbursement: Evelyn Alden

State Deaf-Blind Fund

The Kansas Deaf-Blind Fund provides funding for assistive technology, consultation, and evaluation of students who are certified deaf-blind by the Kansas Deaf-Blind Project based on the criteria from the Kansas Deaf-Blind Census and/or have severe significant disabilities included on the December 1 Child Count Data. 

State Deaf-Blind Fund Reports 

State Deaf-Blind Fund Reports provide summaries of the expenditures by local education agencies (LEAs) or districts by federal fiscal year.

State Deaf-Blind Fund Resources 

State Deaf-Blind Fund Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) 

This guidance document provides frequently asked questions and answers to the Kansas Deaf-Blind Fund. 

State Deaf Blind Fund Timelines (PDF) 

This document provides the due dates for submitting applications and reimbursement of The Kansas Deaf-Blind Fund. 

LEA User Guide of The State Deaf-Blind Fund System (2021) (PDF)  

This LEA user guide provides an overview of the Kansas Deaf-Blind Fund application in Kansas Grant Management System (KGMS). 

Sensory Losses

This link directs users to the KSDE Sensory Losses Webpage 

Questions about State Deaf-Blind Funds: Lisa Karney; Sarah Reed

 

State Medicaid Information 

A portion of state special education state aid, not to exceed $9,000,000 in any school year, is designated as Medicaid replacement state aid. Allocations are based upon the number of special education children that have been approved for Medicaid reimbursement on March 1, allowing a window of one week prior and one week after. Medicaid claims are submitted to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Division of Health Care Finance (HCF), through the MMIS billing portal for Medicaid eligible students. KDHE will provide to Kansas Department of Education - School Finance, no later than May 15 in any school year, the student counts of paid Medicaid claims for each organization. The Medicaid replacement state aid is included in the final June 1 special education state aid payment.

Questions about Medicaid Replacement State Aid: Daniel Kalas    

Questions about Medicaid: Hallie Doud