Analysis Shows Federal Share of IDEA Costs Will Decline in FY 2020

Despite the $400 million increase in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grants to states provided by Congress for Fiscal Year 2020, a comparison of the cost of educating students with disabilities shows the federal share of the cost of IDEA services went down this fiscal year.

According to the Congressional Research Services (CRS), a non-partisan arm of the Library of Congress which provides information to Congress, the federal share of expenditures for IDEA services in FY 2019 was 14.3 percent. A U.S. Department of Education estimate for expenditures for FY 2020, sent to the Committee for Education Funding, of which CEC is a member, shows that the federal share has decreased to 13 percent.

The change can be attributed to the number of students in need of special education services and the intensity of those services. Those respective rises, coupled with Congress failing to keep pace, will result in schools turning to their state and local budgets to make up for the difference. The analysis underscores the importance of advocating for increased funding for IDEA.

To view the CRS report, go here.