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California serves more than 725,000 students with disabilities (nearly 12 percent of the K–12 population) and invests roughly $12 billion in federal, state, and local dollars annually in special education. Given this investment, the stakes are too high to change the system without a clear understanding of the current system and a thorough investigation of possible improvements.

This Executive Summary outlines the key findings identified in the report, California Special Education Funding System Study: A Descriptive Analysis of Special Education Funding in California, which describes California’s special education funding system, examines the special education population and funding structure, and sets the foundation for refinement of the current system.

This study will be followed with a report on potential options to refine the system, supported by research, and the potential benefits and drawbacks of each option.