Non-Educational Community-Based Funds

  • Non-Educational Community-Based Support Services funding is made available to school districts annually for the provision of non-educational community-based support services to certain students with disabilities and their families so that those students may receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment according to the Texas Education Code § 29.013.

    The funds may be used only for eligible students with disabilities who would remain or would have to be placed in residential facilities primarily for educational reasons without the provision of non-educational community-based support services. The support services may include:

    • in-home family support,
    • respite care, and
    • case management for families with a student who otherwise would have been placed by a district in a private residential facility.

    Only school districts may apply for these funds. Application is a local district decision and strictly voluntary. The purpose of these funds is to provide periodic, short-term non-educational services for students receiving special education services, who are at risk of residential placement for educational purposes.

    They may not be used for:

    • Educational services that can be provided through the student’s IEP as a part of their educational program
    • Services provided while students are in residential placement
    • Intensive or long-term care services

    Applications for each school year may be submitted beginning September 1st of each year. School districts wishing to apply for Non-Ed Funds should review the following guidelines and blank forms before applying:

    The blank forms should be saved to your desktop before completing.

  • The application for Non-Ed funds must be initiated and completed by the school district. It does require collaboration among the Local Education Agency (LEA), Region 15 Education Service Center, and the Community Resource Coordination Group (CRCG). Non-Ed funds are available on an annual basis for services provided between September 1 of the current year and August 31 of the following year. All expenditures and payments must occur between those dates.

    The following procedures apply:

    • Applications must be completed under the direction of an administrator with authority to expend district funds.
    • The application may not be completed by service providers, parents, or community agencies.
    • LEAs should plan on 30 days to process an application for non-educational funds
    • The completed application must have the following signatures before submission to Region 15 ESC for review:
      • Superintendent of a single member district or
      • Superintendent from the fiscal agent of the special education Shared Service Arrangement
    • Applications for the school year must be submitted to Region 15 ESC.
    • Requests for funding will be considered for critical needs funding based on the following priorities:
      • New students returning from residential placements for educational reasons
      • Students at-risk for residential placement for educational reasons
      • Additional funding for students currently receiving services from this funding source.
     
     

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