The general assembly shall appropriate to the board of regents for elementary and secondary education the sums that it deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this section for distribution to local and regional school districts on the basis of the ratio which the children with disabilities in that district bear to the state total of children with disabilities; provided however, that no school district receives less than twelve thousand five hundred dollars ($12,500) for the purpose of financially assisting school programs for the child with a disability currently in operation and those programs initiated by the district in the future, and as approved by the department of elementary and secondary education; and the state controller is authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of the sum, or so much of that sum as may be from time to time required, upon receipt by the controller of properly authenticated vouchers approved by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The department shall have the power to require that the programs shall be administered and supervised by the local districts in a manner that the department deems most feasible educationally and most sound economically.