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Anna M. Tinsley
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Texas has a new way of determining how much funding schools get for special education services.
The change took effect this school year, moving away from the way the state has funded special education for years.
But could it affect the services your child receives? And does the new system mean more money for schools?
Here’s what to know.
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How is special education funding changing in Texas?
For years, how much special education funding a school received for a student depended on how that student received services during the school day.
For example, funding could differ depending on whether a student received help in a general education classroom or spent part or most of the day in a separate special education classroom.
Under the new system, funding is based more on the level of services and support each student needs, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Each student will be assigned one of eight funding tiers based on the services already documented in their individualized education program (IEP).
To determine the tier, schools look at how much support a student needs in five areas: learning and instruction, behavior, communication, independent functioning and personal care/health.
Separate from those tiers, some students may also qualify for additional funding through one of five service groups for services like occupational or physical therapy and one on one support.
The tiers range from Tier 1 for students who receive only speech therapy to Tier 8 for students whose ARD committee determines they need to attend a residential placement program.
The tiers in between are based on the amount and type of support outlined in the student’s IEP.
Will the new funding system change my child’s special education services?
Parents and school staff will continue to decide what services a student needs through the ARD process.
The TEA says a student’s funding tier shouldn’t be used to decide their placement, where they receive services or what services they receive.
Parents also don’t need to worry about calculating or agreeing to a funding tier during the ARD meeting.
The TEA says a campus member of the committee can review the student’s IEP afterward and determine the appropriate funding classification.
How much more money will Texas spend on special education?
For the 2026-27 school year, lawmakers required the state to provide about $250 million more for special education than schools would have received under the old funding system, according to the TEA.
That $250 million is a statewide increase, so it doesn’t mean every school district will receive the same amount.
Since this is the first year of the change, Texas is temporarily calculating how much each school would receive under both the old and new systems.
The TEA says schools are guaranteed at least as much special education funding this year as they would have received under the old system.
That guarantee only applies to the 2026-27 school year. Starting in 2027-28, the old system will go away and funding will be based solely on the new model, meaning a school could receive more or less than it would have under the old system.
Schools won’t know their final funding amounts for the 2026-27 school year until September 2027, after TEA has a full school year of student data.
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Tiffani is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions about life in North Texas. Tiffani mainly writes about Texas laws and health news.