The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) received a special programs appropriation in Act 1421 of 2009 that provides public school funds to reimburse local school districts for educational services delivered in approved licensed residential centers. ADE Special Education Procedural Requirements and Program Standards, Section 18.00, provides a mechanism to reimburse affected school districts for the costs of educating disabled and nondisabled students placed in approved licensed residential drug, alcohol and/or psychiatric facilities or in the following Intermediate Care Facilities for persons with Mental Retardation (ICF-MR): Arkansas Easter Seals in Little Rock, Brownwood Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas Pediatrics Facility in Pulaski County, and Millcreek in Fordyce.
Other residential programs, such as the ones operated by the state for deaf and blind students, Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences, or human development centers, are not eligible for public school fund reimbursements through Section 18.00, since the costs are provided for elsewhere in state law.
During Fiscal Year 2009-2010, reimbursement requests will be filed on the Special Education Website at http://arksped.k12.ar.us by logging on to MySped Resource and accessing Residential Reimbursements under the Finance link. A User’s Guide, including quarterly service dates and deadlines for filing became available on the website on September 25, 2009. The Fiscal Year 2009-2010 maximum reimbursement rate for eligible in-state and out-of-state residential placements in approved educational programs will be $60.00 per day.