The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), Special Education Services Section has opened Fiscal Year 2027 Special Education Services State-Appropriated Financial Assistance under Act No. 2026-380. Any Alabama public school system with an enrolled child or youth with a disability who is eligible for special education and related services may apply.
The program has six funding options: Special Education Licensed Interpreters and Teachers of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing; Board-Certified Behavior Analyst support; Special Education Catastrophic Fund; High-Needs Special Education Fund; Cameras in the Classroom; and Specialized Treatment Center Tuition. The Catastrophic Fund can support unusually costly special education and related services such as specialized therapy, nursing services, and day treatment. The High-Needs option can support individual students, groups of students, or special education initiatives such as behavioral intervention or a neurodevelopmental unit.
For Options 1–5, the next published electronic application date is November 6, 2026. ALSDE does not publish a closing clock time or time zone in the controlling memorandum. Additional rounds may remain open until funds are awarded or May 31, 2027, whichever occurs first. Option 6 is available throughout the grant timeline while funds remain. Awards are contingent on available funds, and expenditures cannot begin until an application is approved.
Funding varies by option. ALSDE does not publish a single maximum applicant cap for the current round. The memo states that first-round applicants under the interpreter/teacher option were eligible for at least $55,000 and first-round applicants under the BCBA option were eligible for at least $87,000. The current round does not state those minimums. The Catastrophic Fund’s otherwise applicable 25% local-board match has been waived by the State Superintendent. The memo also warns that state awards may affect an LEA’s federal IDEA maintenance-of-effort requirement.
Applications are submitted electronically. Requirements vary by option and may include student and program information, statements of need and financial need, a detailed budget, required LEA signatures, current IEP and eligibility documentation for certain student-specific requests, and written treatment-center acceptance for the Specialized Treatment Center Tuition option. Questions may be directed to sesgrants@alsde.edu or 334-694-4782.
Atlas analysis: Atlas Opportunity Score 83/100. N9+ Fit Score 58/100. This is a strong special-education and student-health funding vehicle, particularly for high-cost nursing, behavioral, autism, neurodevelopmental, and related-service needs. However, the controlling memo does not expressly identify remote examination technology or general medical equipment as an allowable cost. The Nonagon N9+ device and platform should therefore not be introduced or budgeted unless an LEA has a genuine qualifying student/program need and ALSDE confirms that the proposed cost is allowable under the selected option.
Official source: ALSDE — FY26-2056 Fiscal Year 2027 Special Education Services Application for State-Appropriated Financial Assistance.