Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education Draft Recommendations
Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education Draft Recommendations
In the 2025 legislative session, the legislature established a Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on Special Education charged with developing a plan to transform special education services while maintaining a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities. Additionally, the legislature charged the BRC with the difficult task of identifying $250 million in cuts to the state special education budget. Without the identification of $250 million in savings, the reduction will be taken from cross-subsidy aid.
To manage this work, the commission split into two subcommittees. One focused on special education implementation, covering goals related to administrative efficiency and paperwork reduction. The other focused on special education financing, covering cost drivers like transportation, tuition billing, and program funding formulas. To protect FAPE and maintenance of effort obligations, the commission prioritized reviewing general education funding sources before turning to special education budget items.
Following a majority vote on August 6, the commission approved four funding recommendations totaling just over $255 million in reductions. These include restructuring FIN 728 transportation funding as a separate stream with clearer eligibility guidance, shifting ADSIS funding to a per-pupil allocation model to the general education budget, eliminating the special education funding formula hold-harmless provision, and eliminating the state’s portion of charter school tuition aid from the special education formula.
Beyond the financial recommendations, the commission approved several long-term recommendations, including supporting PELSB's teacher recruitment and licensure efforts, reviewing prior special education paperwork reduction recommendations, expanding Full Service Community School grants, and reducing barriers to third-party billing. The commission also called for continued MTSS investment outside special education funding, expanded Grow Your Own grants for related service providers, and directed MDE to establish a committee to study dispute resolution data and recommend ways to reduce legal and administrative costs.
Lastly, the commission unanimously agreed to include language acknowledging the harm these funding reductions may cause, particularly for marginalized students, and asked that the underlying legislation requiring these cuts be repealed.
The commission is currently finalizing its report, incorporating feedback from members before submitting the full report and recommendations to the legislature and governor on October 1, 2026.