A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT appropriating funds to establish a Pilot regional special education fund to support multidisciplinary assessment services for children with disabilities.
Whereas, there exists a group of children for whom the cost of services exceeds the capacity for any one school district; and
Whereas, the advanced technology has been developed and assistive technologists, special therapists, and literacy specialists possess the expertise to provide for these children and their schools educational and therapeutic support to allow the students to achieve their academic potential; and
Whereas, cooperatively sharing resources between and among school districts through a regional resource strengthens the capacity of public schools to include these high intensity children in the mainstream; and
Whereas, coordinated and effective use of noneducational sources, such as Medicaid and Children's Special Health Services, is essential to the benefit of children and schools; and
Whereas, public school therapists, teachers, and administrative personnel require support and guidance in the employment of communication and other assistive technology to integrate the child into the North Carolina Standard Course of Study; and
Whereas, the collaboration of public schools with skilled University of North Carolina Center for Literacy and Disability Studies professionals will support continuing education, research, and development; and
Whereas, families will benefit from prescriptive assessment and resource identification from other income sources; and
Whereas, inclusion and independence education is less costly than residential care or special class participation; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction, Division of Exceptional Children, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year. These funds shall be used to establish a pilot regional special education fund to support multidisciplinary assessment services for children with severe communication and mobility disabilities.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction, Division of Exceptional Children, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year.  These funds shall be used to support the New Voices Assessment Program in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Center for Literacy and Disability Studies for the implementation of a multidisciplinary assessment program for children with severe communication and mobility disabilities.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2008.