You asked (1) if there is any trend in Connecticut to reverse the policy of mainstreaming special education students and (2) how a regional school district would form a regional board of finance and what the procedure is for pursuing such a policy.

SPECIAL EDUCATION MAINSTREAMING

There is no trend in Connecticut to reverse the policy of “mainstreaming” special education students. Pursuant to federal law, students requiring special education must, to the maximum extent appropriate, be educated with their non-disabled peers in a regular education class in the school that they would have attended if they did not have a disability requiring special education services. According to the Connecticut Education Department publication “A Parents Guide to Special Education,” the removal of a child receiving special education from the regular education class or regular educational environment should only occur when the nature or the severity of the disability is such that educating the child in the regular class or regular educational environment with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT FINANCE BOARDS

There is currently no provision in Connecticut law that allows for the formation of regional school district finance boards. During the past few legislative sessions, there have been several unsuccessful proposals to create such a provision. The chart below lists the session, bill number, and introducer for relevant bills proposed since 2000.

For your reference, we include a link to a 2002 Program Review and Investigations Committee study on regional school districts http: //cgalites/pri/year2002studies. htm. That study recommended changing the law to require regional school district finance boards.

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