Education
The number of students requiring special education services more than doubled in Conroe, Montgomery and Willis ISDs, rising 87%, 135% and 111%, respectively, between the 2018-19 and 2023- 24 school years, per Texas Education Agency data. With the growth in special education students, some districts came face-to-face with a gap in how much the services cost and the actual money they had on hand. In a 2023 report, advocacy group Disabilities Rights Texas noted a $2.3 billion shortfall in local educational agencies’ budgets for special education programs in 2020-21. Schools could see relief after Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2, which spends $850 million on overhauling special education funding to allocate resources based on students’ individual needs, rather than instructional setting. The new funding will be allocated in 2026-27, per the TEA. WISD Communications Director Sarah Blakelock said any funding increase will go to closing that gap. MISD o cials said that while the district doesn’t have its funding estimates yet, priorities include expanded dyslexia services. Special education growth outpaces expected HB 2 aid
Special education student enrollment
Conroe ISD Montgomery ISD Willis ISD
11,236
12,000
9,192
10,000
7,230
8,000
6,356
5,857
5,808
5,314
6,000
1334 1551
1142 1330
970 1101
4,000
788 865
869 959
632 658
757 773
2,000
0
2018-19
2019-20 2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25*
Special education teacher positions
Conroe ISD Montgomery ISD Willis ISD
1,000
694
800
641
603
574
550
501
600
400
35 98
33 94
30 85
37 75
31 81
27 70
200
0
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
*2024 25 VALUE PROVIDED BY CONROE ISD. DISTRICT NUMBERS MAY DIFFER FROM TEA REPORTS.
NOTE: TEACHER POSITION NUMBERS HAVE BEEN ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST WHOLE NUMBER.
SOURCES: CONROE ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
What they’re saying
Diving deeper
Wrapped up in the HB 2 special education fund- ing is $1,000 set aside for each child’s initial special education evaluation, according to the TEA. Per a June 24 presentation, CISD said this allotment alone could save about $2.5 million. Michael Holland, executive director of the Region 6 Education Service Center, which pro- vides services for school districts including CISD, MISD and WISD, said full and individual evalua- tions for students can range from $1,000-$4,000 depending on the type of evaluation. He said the additional $1,000 reimbursement will help o set that cost, but many other expenses remain for districts to contend with, such as overtime and part-time work. “The cost of providing special education ser- vices for the [local education agencies] in Region 6 can be extensive,” Holland said. “[Districts] struggle with the cost of having to contract many of the services for the students they teach.” However, other funding provided by HB 2 may
HB 2’s special education provisions HB 2 outlines new funding and provisions for special education. $850 million in new funding allocated to districts $1,000 for each child’s initial special education evaluation Allocates resources based on students’ individual needs, rather than where they receive services
“The legislature did make some meaningful progress, ... although not to the extent that we had hoped.” KAREN GARZA,
CONROE ISD CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
help to o set costs in other ways, Holland said. HB 2 will provide permanent raises for educators and support sta and set aside money for schools to spend on xed costs, such as utilities. CISD’s Chief Financial O cer Karen Garza said while HB 2 funding will help address some of the district’s funding challenges, it is not comprehen- sive in its scope.
"The transition to an intensity of services model represents a critical step forward.”
MARK RUFFIN, MISD SUPERINTENDENT
16
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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