An Act relative to special education finance

This bill requires private special education schools that receive state funding to publish annual reports detailing student achievement data and submit audited financial statements to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It also mandates that these schools provide copies of their audit reports to the specific school districts that enrolled their students. Additionally, the legislation directs the state secretary of education to study and recommend improvements for overseeing private special education programs, including how to better collect data on educational programming and services. The bill further adjusts construction funding rules to give priority and incentive points to projects that create space for in-district special education programs. Finally, it clarifies that data sharing between the departments of early education and care and elementary and secondary education is permitted only for residential programs approved by both agencies.