IDEA Funding
$10 billion for nearly 7 million students
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) allows Congress to leverage tens of billions of federal, state, and local dollars annually to help offset the costs of providing a “free and appropriate education” to all students with disabilities regardless of the type or severity.
Part B of IDEA, generally known as the State Grant Program, contains the majority of federal special education funds. Over $10 billion is annually distributed to states that, in turn, redistribute the funds directly to local school districts. The funds serve the nearly 6.9 million students ages 3 through 21 with disabilities.
Technology and IDEA
A growing number of school districts use IDEA Part B funds to help meet the technology requirements of special needs students. In total, one billion dollars or more from a variety of funding sources, in addition to IDEA, is now spent annually on technology by districts to support special education.
Unlike the federal No Child Left Behind Act, IDEA does not include a specific list of objectives that districts must address when using their Part B funds, but does require the schools to follow specific procedures (including an IEP per child). The funds are intended to provide for “the excess costs of providing special education and related services” to students who have been identified as eligible.
Overall spending on Special Education
Total spending on students with disabilities in the United States has surpassed $80 billion annually and hovers around 20 percent of total spending on K-12 public education. Of the $80 billion, approximately $50 billion derives from federal (IDEA), state, and local resources targeted specifically to special needs students.
