ActiveAtlas Opportunity Score 87/100
Arizona Department of Education High Cost Child Claims — FY2027
Arizona IDEA high-cost reimbursement pathway for eligible public education agencies serving students with disabilities whose documented costs exceed the state threshold.
FundingReimbursement-based; no fixed per-PEA award cap is stated on the controlling page. Student costs must exceed $35,004 per year, approximately $3,500 per month, to meet the current minimum threshold.
DeadlineRound 1: October 30, 2026; Round 2: January 29, 2027; Round 3: March 26, 2027; Round 4: May 28, 2027. ADE does not publish a submission time or time zone.
Last verifiedSeptember 20, 2026
Required next actionEligible Arizona PEAs should identify the single strongest qualifying student claim for the next round, verify IDEA eligibility and clean AzEDS data, confirm all requested costs are reflected in the current IEP, assemble invoices/accounting support, narrative and summary template, and verify the exact submission time and time zone with ADE before any new outreach or deadline-dependent action.
Broad Eligibility
Arizona public education agencies eligible for IDEA grant funding. A qualifying student with disabilities must have costs exceeding three times the per-pupil average, currently more than $35,004 per year; only one claim per PEA may be submitted in each round.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score 87/100. Strong Arizona special-education reimbursement opportunity with clear recurring FY2027 rounds and documented eligibility. N9+ Fit 25/100 conditional only where a specific student-specific cost is legitimately reflected in the IEP, invoiced, otherwise allowable and part of a qualifying high-cost claim; this is not a general technology or equipment grant. QC Healthcare Fit 5/100 conditional and unestablished. Dr. Miltie direct-applicant fit 0/100 because the eligible applicant is the PEA. The published deadline dates lack a submission time and time zone, so new outreach remains fail closed until those elements are authoritatively verified.
The Arizona Department of Education Exceptional Student Services High Cost Child program reimburses eligible Arizona public education agencies for extraordinary costs associated with students with disabilities. ADE states that a student whose costs exceed three times the per-pupil average may qualify; the current threshold is more than $35,004 per year, approximately $3,500 per month.
For FY2027, ADE lists four claim submission rounds: October 30, 2026; January 29, 2027; March 26, 2027; and May 28, 2027. The controlling ADE page does not publish a submission clock time or time zone, so the exact deadline remains unverified for outreach purposes. Each PEA may submit only one claim per round and must be eligible for IDEA grant funding.
Required claim support includes the current IEP covering the claimed dates, invoices or accounting documentation with a crosswalk when applicable, a PEA-letterhead narrative explaining the obligation and effect on special-education funds, the ADE summary template, and clean AzEDS data aligned with the student’s IEP. Requested reimbursement items must be reflected in the IEP. ADE specifically excludes special-education teacher or administrator salaries and benefits, office equipment and office supplies, and claims that do not meet the approximately $3,500 monthly average.
Source verificationOfficial government source · www.azed.govAtlas last verified this record September 20, 2026. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
