First enacted in 1975, the Individuals with Disabilites Education Act (IDEA) introduced a formula to determine the level of federal funding needed to support public schools with special education and related services. Congress pledged that federal funds should cover up to 40 percent of the added cost of educating a student with a disability, and states would cover the other 60 percent of the additional costs to meet students’ needs. Since then, this legislation has been revised and reauthorized numerous times, including the addition of several early childhood education amendments in 1997, the creation of the individualized education plan during the reauthorization in 2004, and an increase to funding in 2009.
Despite undergoing these numerous revisions, part B of the IDEA, which covers assistance for education of children with disabilities between the ages of 3-21, has been historically underfunded. Though Congress committed to funding up to 40 percent of the cost of special education, the federal government currently only pays about 16 percent of the expense. This is especially alarming given that the number of students with disabilities under IDEA has increased by over 25 percent in the past two decades, with over 7.3 million students currently receiving special education services designed to meet their individual needs.
The significant underfunding of special education programs has been a critical challenge for school systems as they seek to hire a sufficient number of special education teachers and instructional aides, as well as physical, occupational speech and behavioral therapists and other specialists. Because schools are required to fulfill IDEA mandates even without the promised federal funding level, schools and school districts must use their own funding that may have otherwise gone to other key programs for their students.
In 118th Congress, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-2) reintroduced the IDEA Full Funding Act (S.2217/H.R.4519). The IDEA Full Funding Act would require regular, mandatory increases in IDEA spending to finally meet our obligation to America’s children and schools. Through IDEA, Congress rightly mandated that schools must properly serve students with disabilities and provide a free and appropriate education. Now Congress must live up to its promise and pass the IDEA Full Funding Act to help fund the program so that schools can afford to provide students with disabilities the education they deserve.
Urge Congress to pass the IDEA Full Funding Act.
Jewish Values
Our obligation to advocate for disability rights is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. Our texts recognize that people with disabilities are often especially vulnerable to discrimination, and our Jewish tradition repeatedly teaches us of our obligation to ensure equal access for all people and to help facilitate the full participation of individuals with disabilities in our society. In Leviticus 19:14, we are commanded, “You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind.” Stumbling blocks come in many forms, including unequal access or subpar educational opportunities and discrimination and exclusion in both education and other facets of life. Similarly, the Jewish emphasis on education as a critical component in engaging in public life informs our specific advocacy around special education and education for individuals with disabilities.
For More Information
For more information, please contact RAC legislative assistant Mason Purdy (mpurdy@rac.org).
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