When Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, Congress pledged to fund 40% of the cost to educate students with disabilities. However, Congress has never come close to fulfilling this pledge. At most, Congress has funded 18% of the cost of IDEA while their commitment from the original law remains at 40% of the cost to educate students with disabilities.
While Congress provides more funding to the IDEA every year, adjusting for inflation and other factors, the latest funding levels for IDEA sit at just over 10% of the actual costs.
Congress must keep their promise to fully fund their commitment to special education and ensure children with disabilities receive the free appropriate public education they are entitled to under law. The IDEA Full Funding Act would put special education funding on a 10-year glidepath toward covering Congress’s initial commitment to pay 40% of the average per pupil expenditure for students with disabilities.
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