Proportionate Share

Proportionare Share 

For questions, please email ESS Program Management.
More information can be found on the proportionate share FAQ page.
The memo issued by ESS Operations regarding the use of carryover funds for a proportionate share
The Office of Special Education Programs has published a guidance document Q&A on Serving Children with Disabilities Placed by Their Parents in Private Schools (February 2022).


Requirements

34 CFR §300.133 describes the requirements of the proportionate share calculation.

  • "...each LEA must spend the following on providing special education and related services (including direct services) to parentally-placed private school children with disabilities:" "For children aged 3 through 21, an amount that is the same proportion of the LEA's total subgrant under section 611(f) of the Act as the number of private school children with disabilities aged 3 through 21 who are enrolled by their parents in private, including religious, elementary schools and secondary schools located in the school district served by the LEA, is to the total number of children with disabilities in its jurisdiction aged 3 through 21."
      • Sites must be a nonprofit institutional day or residential school (RTC) 
  • ARS 15-101 defines elementary and secondary school grades as:
    • "Elementary grades" means kindergarten programs and grades one through eight;

       and 

  • "Secondary grades" means grades nine through twelve

Annual Count

LEA Each must -

  1. After timely and meaningful consultation with representatives of parentally-placed private school children with disabilities (consistent with § 300.134), determine the number of parentally-placed private school children with disabilities attending private schools located in the LEA; and
  2. Ensure that the count is conducted on any date between October 1 and December 1, inclusive, of each year (ADE/ESS will use the October 1 date to determine this value for PEAs)

The count must be used to determine the amount that the LEA must spend on providing special education and related services to parentally-placed private school children with disabilities in the subsequent fiscal year.

 

Supplement, not Supplant

34 CFR §300.133(d) indicates what role state and local funds play regarding proportionate share expenditures:

  • State and local funds may supplement and, in no case, supplant the proportionate amount of Federal funds required to be expended for parentally-placed private school children with disabilities under this part.

 

Child Find

34 CFR §300.131(d) provides clarity on expenses not categorized for proportionate share:

The cost of carrying out the child find requirements in this section, including individual evaluations, may not be considered in determining if an LEA has met its obligation

 

 

Page revised on 3/3/2026