Pop quiz: How many times has the federal government fulfilled its original commitment to supply 40 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure to pay for the costs of special education?
Answer: Never. In fact, only once鈥攊n 2009鈥攈as federal funding even exceeded 20 percent, despite a promise in the first version of what is now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to reach 40 percent by 1982.
Today, the nation鈥檚 special education law merely authorizes鈥攁nd no longer requires鈥攖he federal government to reach the 40 percent threshold. And there鈥檚 plenty of debate over whether the 40 percent threshold is even an accurate representation of the true cost of providing special education services.
Whatever the true costs of special education and the legal situation, the lack of originally promised federal funding comes at a cost鈥攍iterally鈥攆or school districts that are, in turn, tasked with finding ways to offset the shortfall while fulfilling their legal commitment to provide every student with disabilities a free, appropriate public education, education leaders said during a webinar on Feb. 24 hosted by the IDEA Full Funding Coalition, a group of organizations advocating for additional IDEA funding.
The coalition is pressing its case at a time of significant uncertainty at the federal level. At her confirmation hearing, Linda McMahon, who鈥檚 likely to be the next secretary of education, discussed shifting oversight of IDEA to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of dissolving the U.S. Department of Education. And an infusion of new IDEA funding in the short term seems unlikely as the Trump administration cuts federal spending and a new budget blueprint under consideration in Congress .
Often, as they face the need to pay for legally required special education services, the solutions districts turn to mean programs for all students are slimmed down or schoolwide staffing is reduced. Sometimes, schools can鈥檛 provide the most up-to-date and innovative assistive technology for students with disabilities. In some places, the shortfall puts extra responsibility on local taxpayers to make up the difference.
鈥楾ough decisions have to be made鈥� when districts are short on funding
When districts are forced to pull funding for students with disabilities鈥攚ho, under IDEA, are guaranteed to receive a free appropriate education that is tailored to their needs鈥攆rom other places in the budget, all students are affected.
found that districts in the 2020 fiscal year received only about 12 percent of what they spent on special education from the federal government, a far cry from the original 40 percent commitment. State funding covered about 26 percent, according to the analysis, leaving the majority of the responsibility鈥�62 percent鈥攖o individual districts.
(In their analysis, the researchers used years prior to the infusion of federal pandemic-relief funds, which affected total spending in the short-term. Researchers also noted the analysis was not comprehensive of all states and districts, and figures were difficult to track because states have inconsistent reporting methods.)
Schools are required to provide education for students with disabilities, even without all the money that Congress promised a half-century ago.
鈥淵ear after year, we fall short as a nation. We leave states, school districts, and their families to bear that burden,鈥� said Jacqueline Rodriguez, the CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a question of fairness, of opportunity, and of an unmet, longstanding commitment from the federal government to support the education of students with disabilities.鈥�
As a result, students in special education might go without the latest and best technologies and programs to boost their learning. Students in general education may see arts, music, or extracurriculars cut to redirect the funds to special education.
鈥淭ough decisions have to be made all the time,鈥� said Mike Barnes, superintendent in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
Insufficient funding makes it difficult to be competitive in hiring, retaining teachers
It鈥檚 also becoming increasingly difficult for districts to be competitive in hiring and retaining qualified, effective special education teachers, Barnes said. And the special education teachers schools do have are likely to experience burnout because of their increasing workloads that districts can鈥檛 help ease due to 鈥渇ewer resources to add staff,鈥� Barnes said.
Federal surveys in recent years have consistently shown that special education teacher vacancies are among the most difficult for schools to fill.
鈥淔ewer and fewer people are deciding to go into teaching, yet the needs for students with disabilities seems to be continuing to increase,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淪o the competition between school districts for the best and the brightest 鈥� to go into the classroom and make a lasting difference on the lives of our children continues to pose a problem with the lack of funding.鈥�
Class sizes in some places may be larger, too, added Danielle Kovach, a special education teacher in Hopatcong, N.J., as schools try to combine classes rather than cut programming when they don鈥檛 have enough teachers.
鈥淚t does make a difference, not only to our students who are receiving the special education services, it makes a difference with all of our students in the classes,鈥� she said.
Some have argued schools should use contract employees to provide special education services, rather than making big budget investments in permanent staffing, which can relieve districts of the burden of recruiting and managing specialized workers.
Yet others have suggested a complete restructuring of federal special education funding: The conservative policy agenda Project 2025 suggests that federal special education funding be distributed into education savings accounts that parents can choose to use at private schools or for other educational expenses outside of the public school system.
Full funding would allow schools to 鈥榙ream bigger鈥� for students with disabilities
When schools are forced to cut and move funding around to meet the legal requirements of educating students with disabilities, compliance 鈥渂ecomes more about meeting legal requirements, rather than truly optimizing鈥� students鈥� opportunities, Barnes said.
If the federal government met its original IDEA funding commitment, it would allow districts to 鈥渄ream bigger鈥� and achieve some of their most aspirational goals in educating students with disabilities, panelists said. Schools could provide more early intervention services that keep some problems from worsening later on, and they could bolster professional development for staff.
For Kovach, it would mean more cohesive, complete programming for her students.
Every time a new student comes to her class, they have unique needs that require a unique approach. Sometimes, they need a specific program or equipment that her school doesn鈥檛 have and can鈥檛 afford, and she has to get creative to provide what her students need.
鈥淪ometimes, I may get piecemeal things, and have to take, borrow, and steal from other teachers,鈥� Kovach said. 鈥溾�榊ou have this. I鈥檓 looking for this.鈥� I even look to our other schools as well to piece it together. Being fully funded would definitely benefit my students in the programs that we鈥檙e implementing in the classroom.鈥�
