Allowing area education agencies to charge user fees to nonpublic schools for materials and services provided

Area education agencies (AEAs) were created in order to provide effective, efficient, and economical means of identifying and serving children who require special education by providing media services and other programs to K-12 pupils. Services and materials required of AEAs by statute or rule are funded by payments from school districts through the state school foundation aid the school district receives for its children requiring special education. AEAs are allowed to charge a fee for services and materials a public or nonpublic school requests the AEA to provide, but which AEAs are not required to provide by statute or rule. This bill allows AEAs to charge an accredited nonpublic school a user fee for materials and services provided to the accredited nonpublic school or its students in an amount not to exceed the actual cost of the materials and services provided for all services that the AEA provides.