Baltimore: SPED costs are 25% of school budget

May 27, 2017, Baltimore Sun: Three top jobs in special ed vacant in Baltimore city schools http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/investigations/bs-md-sun-investigates-special-ed-20170527-story.html The district's 12,500 special education students make up about 15 percent of the student population. City school administrators budgeted $189 million for special education next school year. The school district also budgeted $34.8 million for nonpublic placements next school year. Special education costs account for nearly a quarter of the district's $1.31 billion budget.