Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee (SEFAC)

What is SEFAC?

SEFAC was established in 2006 by House Bill 06-1375 and is the Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee. The committee is charged with the allocation of an annual appropriation, currently $4 million. The committee has the discretion to award grants to administrative units for students with disabilities who qualify as “high cost” students. In addition to analyzing the high cost applications and awarding grants to administrative units, the SEFAC produces an annual report to the legislature which includes special education data from the collection year, current fiscal year and changes the committee recommends regarding the manner of distributing funds to Administrative Units for special education programs through the Exceptional Children’s Educational Act (ECEA).

SEFAC Bylaws (PDF)

Quick Links

SEFAC Members

Meeting Agendas and Minutes

High Cost Applications & Instructions

High Cost Allocation Timeline

SEFAC Annual Allocations

Legislative Reports

Members

Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee Members for the 2024-2025 School Year

Paul Foster, Ed.D.
Assistant Commissioner, Exceptional Student Services Unit
Colorado Department of Education

Tamara Durbin
Executive Director, Northeast Colorado BOCES
BOCES Fiscal

Erich Dorn
Chief Financial Officer, Centennial BOCES
Small Rural Fiscal

Scott Smith
Chief Financial Officer, Cherry Creek 5
Large Urban/Suburban Fiscal

Brandi Durr
Exceptional Student Services Director, San Juan BOCES
Southwest Region

Lazlo Hunt
Director of Special Education, Thompson R-2J
North Central Region

Tammy Johnson
Executive Director, Uncompahgre BOCES
West Central Region

Elizabeth Mauler
Student Services Director, Valley RE-1
Northeast Region

Carolena Steen, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent, Cheyenne Mountain
Pikes Peak Region

Lynnette Steinhoff, Ph.D.
Special Education Coordinator, Charter School Institute
Statewide

Susan Udenberg
Executive Director, Mountain BOCES
Northwest Region

Callan Ware
Executive Director of Student Services, Englewood Schools
Metro Region

Non-Voting Members

Vicki Graham
Fiscal Supervisor, Exceptional Student Services Unit
Colorado Department of Education

Lisa Schmit
Fiscal Specialist, Exceptional Student Services Unit
Colorado Department of Education

Meetings Agendas and Minutes 2024-2025 School Year

October 21, 2024

10/21/2024 Agenda and Minutes (PDF)

November 4, 2024

11/04/2024 Agenda and Minutes (PDF)

Next Meetings:

April 21, 2025, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
May 05, 2025, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

**Members of the public may request to provide comment to the committee by emailing Suzy Shotts (shotts_s@cde.state.co.us) within 24 hours of scheduled meeting times.**

High Cost Applications and Instructions

2025 Collection Application & Worksheet

High Cost Application Instructions 2025

High Cost Applications Technical Assistance

High Cost Technical Assistance Webinar (Recorded January 12, 2021) (Vimeo Link)

High Cost Application and Allocation Timeline

March

Applications due March 3, 2025.

April

High Cost applications are reviewed by SEFAC. All recommended applications are submitted to the State Board of Education.

May

The State Board of Education grants approval of the recommended allocations at the May meeting.

June

Email notifications are sent
Allocation payments will be posted to the SEFAC website.
All approved High Cost allocation payments must be distributed.

******Funding in a previous year does not guarantee funding in the current year.

******Notifications - Emailed to all Administrative Unit/BOCES Special Education Directors. General announcements are published in the CDE Scoop.

SEFAC Annual Allocations

SEFAC Legislative Reports

2022/2023 SEFAC Legislative Report, January 2024 (PDF)

2021/2022 SEFAC Legislative Report, January 2023 (PDF)

SEFAC Special Report – Report on Colorado Special Education Funding Mechanisms, December 2022 (PDF)

2020/2021 SEFAC Legislative Report, January, 2022 (PDF)

Questions?

Contact Vicki Graham with any questions you may have.

Vicki Graham
Fiscal Supervisor
Phone: (720) 237-7541
Email Vicki Graham

Having trouble with this webpage?

If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.