House Bill No. 264 required the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Human Resources to study the establishment of local and regional special education facilities. The study was prompted by the recognition by legislators, state administrators and local officials that many school divisions are unable to meet the educational needs of certain handicapped children in programs administered directly by their systems. The potential for providing effective education and services at reduced costs through local and regional special education facilities has been suggested. This study is intended to fulfill the request of the Virginia General Assembly by assessing the benefit and possible impact of the establishment of local and regional special education facilities including the possibility of new funding or the reallocation of existing funding for such facilities and program.

The report is divided into four sections.

Section I provides background information on the basis for the mandate to provide all handicapped children an appropriate and free public education as set forth in court decisions and federal or state legislation.

Section II is devoted to the study committee's findings on the requirements for educational services, costs of services, need for related services, and methods of financing educational and related services.

Section III sets forth the committee's conclusions relative to the target group of children that school divisions have the greatest difficulty serving, and problems in planning, financing and implementing programs to meet their educational and related needs.

Section IV provides recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on a program to facilitate the development and delivery of educational and related services to those children with handicapping conditions that cannot be served more effectively and efficiently through programs operated by each individual school system.