Colorado is racing to save the schools that serve children whose home districts can’t or won’t meet their intense needs. This is part 1 in a four-part COLab, Chalkbeat, Colorado Sun and KFF Health News series examining Colorado's collapsing system of schools that serve students with intense mental and behavioral health needs.

The additional support will help the beleaguered facility school system grow by 40% statewide.

Part 2 in a 4-part series by COLab, Chalkbeat, Colorado Sun and KFF Health News focuses on hard hit rural Colorado. A new state law aims to keep the doors open at schools that accept students with intensive needs. One preteen in rural Colorado shows how the current system leaves some students bouncing between institutions far from home.

The special schools have no central oversight and instead are the responsibility of multiple state agencies. A new law aims to increase accountability.

Experts are hopeful a new state law will lead more facility schools to open. Meanwhile, school districts are creating their own programs, and creative and skilled educators are finding ways to meet students’ needs in traditional classrooms.