§ 2963a. Exceptional circumstances
(a) The commissioner of education, in place of reimbursement under section 2963 of this title, shall reimburse a school district for 80 percent of the following expenditures:
(1) costs not eligible for reimbursement under section 2962 of this title for each student causing the school district to be eligible for extraordinary services reimbursement pursuant to that section. However, in order for a school district to be eligible for reimbursement under this section, the total costs of the district eligible for extraordinary services reimbursement must equal or exceed 15 percent of the total costs eligible for state assistance under sections 2961, 2962, and 2963 of this title; and
(2) the costs incurred by the school district in placing and maintaining a student in a program operated by the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
(b) An eligible school district may apply to the commissioner to receive reimbursement under this section. The commissioner shall award reimbursement to a school district under this section if the commissioner makes a determination that the school district considered all the cost-effective and appropriate available alternatives for placement and programs for students before incurring these costs. A decision of the commissioner shall be final. (Added 1997, No. 71 (Adj. Sess.), § 87, eff. March 11, 1998; amended 1999, No. 108 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 10, 2000; 2005, No. 182 (Adj. Sess.), § 22.)