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FINANCING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN ,15 PROGRAMS <br />IN NORTH CAROLINA <br />EX2CUTIQE SMOIARY <br />The funding of programs for exceptional Children which <br />are mandated by federal and state law is a serious and <br />complex policy task. The purpose of this study was to <br />examine the current method of funding such programs in North <br />Carolina, to determine its specific problems, to investigate <br />passible options based on the literature and existing policy <br />in other states, and to make recommendations for policy <br />changes. <br />Considerable research has demonstrated that it costs at <br />least two tixaes as much to educate handicapped pupils as <br />nor- handicapped ones. The current study found that in North <br />Carolina this ratio is much lower than national averages, a <br />situation which cannot be explained by differences in <br />teacher salaries, transportation, or other costs. This <br />analysis also mound that the proportion of students <br />iaentified and funded as handicapped in North Carolina has <br />been rising over the past several years, as has the <br />proportion of academically gifted students. These trends <br />intensy the difficulties regarding funding exceptional <br />children's programs. <br />While approximately 10.9 percent of North Carolina's <br />total average daily membership (40M) was identified as <br />handicapped in 1989 -90, single districts are identifying a <br />range of proportions of their students as handicapped. In <br />0 <br />