Analysis Shows State-by-State Funding Shortfalls for IDEA
Last week, IDEA Money Watch released a new blog post titled “IDEA Funding Gaps by State: FY 2020 (School Year 2020-21).” This blog highlights the state-by-state funding shortfalls for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Specifically, the blog notes that while Congress promised “full funding” for the IDEA when first enacted (40 percent of excess costs for students with disabilities), the federal contribution in 2020 was just 13.2 percent. This was the lowest percentage contributed by the Federal government since 2000.
While the funding offered by the Federal government is meant to offset costs of special education, the blog notes that the low contribution burdened states and local school districts to pick up the tab for $24 billion in costs during 2020.
Finally, the blog highlights that the growth in the number of students who qualify under IDEA has exceeded the rate of annual change used to calculate the full funding estimate, meaning the actual gap is likely significantly higher than currently calculated.