Temecula, Murrieta Districts May Run Own Special Ed

Murrieta and Temecula schools may form their own special education district, separating themselves from the county plan area, the North County Times reported.

School districts must all belong to a special education area plan and Temecula and Murrieta districts belong to the Riverside County Special Education Local Plan Area, according to the Times.

The SELPA assists districts with implementing the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act.

There are about 3,500 special education students in Temecula, which represents almost 12 percent of the district's overall enrollment, the Times reported.

The members of a local plan area pay fees based on enrollment, so the bigger districts help to fund special education for smaller districts, according to the newspaper.

Both school boards sent notice to the county plan group, letting it know their plans to leave the consortium by 2013, the Times reported.

Sending the notice is not a commitment, however, and school district officials can change their minds.