Special education leaders are entering a challenging fiscal transition. With ESSER funds officially expired and final extensions winding down, districts are transitioning away from temporary federal relief and back to ongoing funding realities.
Programs and supports once covered by ESSER - staffing, instructional tools, behavior supports, and technology - now require more intentional, sustainable budgeting decisions.
Budgets are tightening, but expectations haven’t changed. Leaders are asking:
- "How do we maintain high-quality instruction without overspending?"
- "How do we prioritize investments without cutting essential services?"
- "How do we support teachers without adding to their workload?"
This moment isn’t simply about reducing spend, it’s about maximizing impact. The districts that thrive will be the ones that invest in strategies and resources that strengthen instruction, protect services for students with disabilities, and reduce long-term costs.
The sections below highlight where to focus so you can stretch your special education budget without lowering outcomes.
Invest in a standards-first adapted core curriculum
One of the most cost-effective decisions districts can make is choosing a curriculum that is designed from the standards up, not retrofitted after the fact. A true standards-first adapted core curriculum:
- Is built directly around state standards and stays aligned every year
- Integrates best practices, including the Science of Reading
- Supports academics, life skills and transition within one coherent framework
When alignment is built into the design, not added later, districts avoid purchasing supplemental programs just to fill gaps or meet shifting requirements. It also reduces the time teachers spend searching for materials, adapting lessons or recreating content to meet expectations and needs.
Choose support models that reduce training costs and teacher workload
Training, turnover and onboarding are major budget drains. Many programs offer content but provide little ongoing support, leaving teachers to figure things out on their own. When staff change, districts pay again in retraining and rebuilding routines.
Look for a curriculum that includes real-time, human support; onboarding tailored to your district; and professional learning built directly into the platform without requiring a professional development purchase just to get teachers started. Programs should be designed so educators can use them confidently without costly, start-up, and sometimes recurring training packages.
When teachers feel supported, they onboard faster, stay longer and spend less time troubleshooting. This reduces the need for repeated professional development cycles, replacement programs and other ongoing expenses that quickly drain limited budgets.
Avoid paying for unused features, licenses or bundles
As ESSER sunsets, districts are discovering they’ve been paying for:
- Features they don’t use
- Licenses that don’t match enrollment
- Content that duplicates existing programs
This often happens when pricing is complex or bundled.
A smarter approach is choosing pricing that is transparent and based on your specific needs. This helps districts create predictable budgeting year over year which is essential as ESSER disappears.
Choose curriculum that lowers both program costs and teacher prep time
Tight budgets make it difficult to maintain multiple separate programs for core academics, differentiated levels, assessments, progress monitoring and transition skills. Selecting a curriculum that covers all of these areas reduces licensing and training costs and gives teachers a consistent, seamless experience.
The right solution should also save teacher time. When teachers spend hours adapting lessons, finding leveled content or modifying materials, hidden costs add up quickly. Look for tools that:
- Come with ready-to-use lessons
- Reduce the need for extensive differentiation
- Offer clear, predictable routines
- Integrate accommodations directly into materials
Districts consistently report that when curriculum streamlines coverage and reduces prep time, instructional quality improves, teacher burnout decreases and overall costs drop.
Ask the critical question: “What will this replace in our budget?”
Every resource should replace something. Otherwise, you’re adding cost, not reducing it.
Programs should help eliminate:
- Duplicated or overlapping curriculum
- Supplemental materials
- Manual progress monitoring
- Isolated life-skills or transition tools
- Costly professional development cycles
If a resource doesn’t streamline your program, it may not be a budget-friendly choice.
When teachers spend hours adapting lessons, finding leveled content or modifying materials, hidden costs add up quickly.
Protect what matters most: high-quality learning for students with disabilities
Districts that move forward successfully invest in curricula that deliver more than the basics. They choose pricing that meets their needs, reduce redundancy and support teachers with resources that strengthen instruction. Most importantly, they make sure students can access high-quality, standards-aligned learning in every classroom.
You don’t have to cut back on student opportunities. You simply need a comprehensive, standards-aligned curriculum that stretches every dollar while keeping access and achievement at the center.
How ULS supports sustainable, high-quality special education instruction
If your district is exploring budget-smart solutions, Unique Learning System (ULS) is a comprehensive, modified, core curriculum that supports instructional quality and long-term sustainability:
- ULS is standards-first and stays aligned every year across all 50 states.
- It supports academic instruction, life skills and transition under one framework, reducing the need for separate programs.
- Its pricing model helps districts simplify their instruction and stretch remaining funds.
- Districts often find ULS is a more cost-effective and comprehensive option compared to programs requiring multiple add-ons.
Need help assessing your special education curriculum?
Our team can help you assess what’s working, where gaps may exist, and how to improve alignment without stretching your budget. Connect with us to explore cost-effective ways to strengthen instruction and support your students.