New bills would require full federal funding of special education

Advocates for disabled students are optimistic about a pair of bills in Congress that would require the federal government to fully fund special education for the first time ever.

The Keep Our Pact Act, introduced separately in the House and Senate, would boost federal spending on special education to cover 40% of states’ and districts’ costs, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. The federal government hasn’t met that goal since the act passed in the mid-1970s, and last year covered only abut 14% of the cost. States and school districts made up the difference.

Introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., the Keep Our Pact Act would also increase funding for Title I programs, which serve students from low-income families.

Schools could use the extra special education money to hire more teachers, aides and therapists; improve training for both general and special education teachers; buy more technical equipment, such as voice-activated tablets; decrease class sizes; and raise salaries for special education staff, among other things.

“It’s a big deal,” said Lauren Morando Rhim, executive director for the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools. “The hope is that more money, coupled with accountability and data collection, will lead to better outcomes and help close the achievement gap.”

In California, students in special education represent roughly 13% of the state’s overall K-12 enrollment, yet they have significantly worse outcomes than their peers in general education even though the vast majority have no intellectual or cognitive disability. Students in special education had a 5-year graduation rate of 72.5% in 2019-20 — compared to 87% overall — and only 16.5% met the entrance requirements for California State University or University of California.

President Joe Biden, a longtime advocate for children with special needs, in June promised to fully fund special education if elected. He’s expected to release his 2021-22 budget in the next few weeks, which will include his spending priorities and signal whether special education is among them.