ICYMI: PSBA, national coalition seek increased funding for IDEA
PSBA is a member of a national coalition of education and disability organizations that recently sent a joint letter to Congress seeking the maximum possible increase in funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The letter, sent to the chairpersons and ranking members of the Senate and House subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS), emphasized that at the time IDEA was enacted, Congress promised to pay 40% of the National Average per Pupil Expenditure. While funding has received significant increases over the past 17 years, the closest the federal government has come to reaching that commitment was 18% in 2005. IDEA is currently funded at $12.76 billion, which equates to approximately just 13.23% of what is historically considered the additional cost of educating students with disabilities.
The coalition is calling for a prioritized and meaningful investment in IDEA in the final fiscal year 2022 LHHS-Education appropriations bill that does not negatively impact funding for other education programs.