Q&A
Direct service budget and voucher rates for special education services
3:35:16
ยท
4 min
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about the direct service budget, voucher rates, and related financial matters for special education services. DOE officials provide information on recent rate increases and processes for handling service provision.
- Voucher rates for SETSS (Special Education Teacher Support Services) more than doubled recently
- Current SETSS voucher rates start around $86 per hour
- Discussion of enhanced rates for cases where providers cannot be found at the standard rate
- Introduction of after-school and weekend sites for service provision, including Sunday sites
- Explanation of budget allocation and supplementation processes for due process cases
Rita Joseph
3:35:16
Okay.
3:35:17
So what is included in the direct service, object code, budget?
3:35:22
Is it primarily vouchers?
3:35:24
Did vouchers rate recently increase?
3:35:25
What's the average cost of each of the vouchers?
Liz Vladeck
3:35:31
The question is about services?
Rita Joseph
3:35:33
Mhmm.
3:35:34
Did the voucher rates, recently increase, and what is the average cost of a voucher?
Liz Vladeck
3:35:38
Yes.
3:35:39
So over the summer, we actually more than doubled the rate, of reimbursement for sets or the voucher amount for sets services.
3:35:49
There is a tiered system that relates to how many students are part of the same session, but the rates start at, I think, somewhere around $86 an hour.
3:36:00
We don't have the data yet.
3:36:02
We're very eager to see it, but what we see through our, you know, through working with families every day and through the cases we're working through is that that does seem to really meet the demand, that families and we are able to find providers who will accept that rate.
3:36:19
I believe I'm less informed about the rates on related services, but I believe the vouchers are in a similar neighborhood.
3:36:25
And if I'm not mistaken, the challenges there just have to do with, the availability of providers, the the intensive demand for providers across the board.
Rita Joseph
3:36:37
So what if a family cannot find they have a voucher.
3:36:39
What if they can't find providers?
Liz Vladeck
3:36:43
Right.
3:36:43
So in that case, they would seek an enhanced rate.
3:36:48
This is with respect to ISP claims.
3:36:50
They would seek an enhanced rate, and that's a case where we would evaluate.
3:36:54
And if we determine that there is no, affordable or available provider and there and the family is saying, oh, look.
3:37:01
I've got one who will charge this much higher cost.
3:37:05
If we genuinely cannot meet that demand, in a reasonable way, then we will approve that request for the enhanced rates.
3:37:13
Mia?
UNKNOWN
3:37:14
Chair, if I may.
3:37:16
Yeah.
3:37:17
Our this year, for the first time, as I mentioned earlier, we want to be in the position of being able to provide a special education teacher to a family.
3:37:27
So while we respect their right to pursue our ERAS process for the enhanced rate or due process, we have teachers that are ready, willing, and able to serve, our IESP families.
3:37:39
In addition, if there's some reason that we cannot meet your child's needs during the school day and it's not all because New York City Public Schools is incapable, but there are scheduling conflicts.
3:37:51
Schools, we respect their autonomy.
3:37:52
Our non public school partners have certain concerns with us entering their school buildings.
3:37:57
We have our after school and weekend sites available to these families.
3:38:01
So there exists a pathway to service and that will remain throughout the remainder of the school year and it's the service is available 7 days a week.
3:38:10
It's something we've never done before.
3:38:12
We recognize that there are many of our families who cannot come to us on a Saturday, may not be able to come to us on a Friday.
3:38:18
So we've opened up Sunday sites for the first time ever in New York City public school history.
3:38:23
And we hope that that, goes a long way in making sure that our children are served.
Rita Joseph
3:38:31
So of the 535,000,000 spent on direct educational services in 2024, did it stem from IESP cases?
Liz Vladeck
3:38:41
I'm not I'm not sure exactly what the number is that you're referring to.
3:38:46
There are different calculations on spending depending on,
Althea Stevens
3:38:53
you
Liz Vladeck
3:38:53
know, how what how many service years we're covering.
3:38:56
I think, you may be referring to what the amount that was allocated in the budget.
3:39:02
And if that's the case, then I would just say that, as I'm sure you're aware, during this period of the explosion of cases, we have found ourselves in a position where OMB, has had to supplement our budget every year because unlike, the programs and services that my colleagues have been describing today, once we lose a case, in a due process in a due process process, we are legally obligated to make those payments no matter what.