2013 Maryland Code
EDUCATION
§ 8-310 - Maryland School for the Blind -- Payments by counties

§8-310.

(a) (1) Each county board shall pay the Maryland School for the Blind an amount equal to the local share of the basic cost, as defined in § 8-415(d)(1) of this title, for each blind child who is sent to the school from the county each year to support the cost of instructional programming.

(2) Each county governing body shall include a child sent to the Maryland School for the Blind under paragraph (1) of this subsection in the full-time equivalent enrollment used for calculating the required local funds appropriated under § 5-202(d) of this article.

(b) The Board of Directors of the Maryland School for the Blind shall give each county board on April 1 and October 1 of each year a statement that contains:

(1) The number of blind children who are attending from the county; and

(2) The name of each blind child from the county and charged to the county.

§ 8-310 - 1. Program of enhanced services for deaf students

(a) Establishment and operation. -- The Maryland School for the Deaf shall establish and operate a program of enhanced services for deaf students who have other moderate to severe disabilities.

(b) Description. -- The Maryland School for the Deaf shall include a description of the program in the written agreement with the Department of Education required under § 8-310.2 of this subtitle.

(c) Funding. -- The costs of providing enhanced services to a child under the program shall be paid to the school and be provided jointly by the State and by the county in which the child is domiciled as provided in subsection (d) of this section.

(d) Placement of child; cost. --

(1) The child shall be jointly placed in the enhanced program, in accordance with procedures for students with disabilities, by the local school system and the Maryland School for the Deaf.

(2) The county in which a child placed in the enhanced program is domiciled shall pay the local share of the "basic cost", as defined in § 8-415 (d) (1) of this title, of the education for that child.

(3) The State shall pay the remaining cost of providing services under the program to the child.

§ 8-310 - 2. Maryland School for the Deaf -- Monitoring and review by Department

(a) Written agreement -- In general. -- The Department of Education and the Maryland School for the Deaf shall enter into a written agreement.

(b) Written agreement -- Terms. -- The agreement shall provide for monitoring and review by the Department of the Maryland School for the Deaf, including:

(1) Review by the Department of the annual budget approved by the Board of the Maryland School for the Deaf;

(2) Monitoring by the Department of the Maryland School for the Deaf's program of enhanced services for deaf students who have other moderate to severe disabilities, including the criteria approved by the Board of the Maryland School for the Deaf for the admission of students to the program;

(3) Consultation between the Department and the Maryland School for the Deaf on issues of deaf education;

(4) Assistance from the Department in developing agreements between the Maryland School for the Deaf and local school systems and other State and local agencies for provision of services to deaf children; and

(5) Monitoring by and assistance from the Department regarding other aspects of the Maryland School for the Deaf's educational program and services to deaf children as required by federal or State law.

(c) Other agreements. --

(1) The Maryland School for the Deaf may enter into written agreements with State and local agencies, including local school systems, for the purpose of providing services to deaf children.

(2) This subsection in no way abrogates the obligation of the local school systems to provide alternative programs for deaf and hard of hearing students.

§ 8-310 - 3. Maryland School for the Deaf -- Funding

(a) Definitions. --

(1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2) "Four-year average annual full-time equivalent enrollment" means:

(i) The average number of students enrolled annually in grades prekindergarten through grade 12 at the Maryland School for the Deaf during 4 consecutive school years as determined by dividing the aggregate monthly enrollment during the 4-year period by the number of months school is in session during the 4-year period; and

(ii) One-half the average number of children served annually by the Maryland School for the Deaf's Early Intervention Program during 4 consecutive school years as determined by dividing the Program's aggregate monthly enrollment during the 4-year period by the number of months school is in session during the 4-year period.

(3) "Growth in the per pupil basic current expense figure" means the change in the per pupil basic current expense figure from the prior fiscal year to the current fiscal year divided by the per pupil basic current expense figure from the prior fiscal year.

(4) "Per pupil basic current expense figure" means the figure calculated for each fiscal year by the Department in accordance with § 5-202 of this article.

(5) "Weighted enrollment growth" means the product of 0.2 times the change in the 4-year average annual full-time equivalent enrollment from the 3rd through the 6th prior school years to the 2nd through the 5th prior school years divided by the 4-year average annual full-time equivalent enrollment from the 3rd through the 6th prior school years.

(b) Amount of appropriation. --

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Maryland School for the Deaf shall receive an appropriation equal to or greater than the sum of:

(i) 75% of the prior year appropriation multiplied by the product of:

1. The sum of the weighted enrollment growth plus one; and

2. The sum of the growth in the per pupil basic current expense figure plus one; and

(ii) 25% of the prior year appropriation multiplied by the sum of the weighted enrollment growth plus one.

(2) The minimum appropriation required under paragraph (1) of this subsection may be reduced to the extent reductions are made to the administrative expenses of the Maryland School for the Deaf.