Bulletin Boards |Shopping & Classifieds |Calendar |About Us

Front page

Behavior Management

Conflict Resolution

Early Intervention

For Educators

For Families

Internet & Assistive Technology

Recreation & Sports

Specific Disabilities

State By State

Transition

Washington Watch

Site Map

CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN MAKES FIRST MOVE TO FULLY FUND IDEA

February 11, 2000

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Matthew Martinez (D-Calif.) believes states can get the additional special education funds they need from the federal government -- within 10 years. The landmark legislation designed to ensure fair public education for students with special needs is celebrating its 25th year, but states have never received from the federal government more than 12.6 percent of the money they need to fund that law's programs. This is despite repeated pledges by various presidential administrations and Congresses to bring that funding up to the full 40 percent level originally promised. Martinez, an 18-year veteran of Capitol Hill, introduced a plan late last month to reach that goal once and for all.

The IDEA Full Funding Act of 2000, H.R.3545, would add a provision to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to authorize Congress to spend an additional $2 billion a year for 10 years to fund all of the law's major provisions: grants to states, preschool grants, programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities, personnel training, research and federal technical assistance. The 40 percent promise originated from an estimate in IDEA's predecessor, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, that the excess cost of educating a child with a disability is equal to 40 percent of the national average spent on each regular ed. student.

Forcing the states and the local school districts to provide the missing 87 percent of funds needed to provide appropriate educational and support services for students with special needs puts an unfair burden on them, Martinez argued in introducing his bill. The Los Angeles Unified School District, he noted, spends about $891 million per year to educate 81,000 students with disabilities, getting $500 million from the state and $42 million from the federal government. "It must tap into funds intended for other education programs to make up the $300 million shortfall," Martinez said. "School districts all across the nation face similar dilemmas."

The bill would start the IDEA budget for fiscal year 2001 at about $8 billion -- up from the $6 billion recently approved by Congress for 2000 and a 25 percent increase over the $6.4 billion President Clinton requested for 2001 in the budget he released this week. The expenditures would go up from that $8 billion by $2 billion each year. The bill also lays out specific amounts to be appropriated for each of IDEA's major provisions.

PROPOSED SPECIAL ED BUDGET AGAIN FALLS SHORT OF LAW'S 40% PROMISE February 12, 2000

Martinez argues some of the money for his new ten-year plan could easily be skimmed from the huge defense budget. "As we move into the 21st Century, we must make critical decisions about the priorities of this nation. In countries like Japan and China, education is a top priority, above even defense," he said. "Surely we can spare an additional $2 billion a year to ensure a brighter future for all Americans."

Fellow House Education and Workforce committee member Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) joined Martinez to co-sponsor the bill, lending his weight as ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families. The bill was referred to the full committee for further actoin, but no hearings have yet been scheduled. While no Republican members of Congress have commented specifically on Martinez's measure, Education Committee Chairman Bill Goodling (R-Pa.) appears to support at least the general concept of increasing federal IDEA funding. In a statement blasting the Clinton administration's proposed budget for fiscal 2001, Goodling pointed out his party continues to seek more funding for IDEA than the Democrat-led White House.

"There are certainly times when more federal funding is appropriate," Goodling said last week. "The Clinton-Gore budget just submitted this week is the first time this administration has understood that the federal government is not living up to its commitment to provide 40 percent of the excess costs to educate disabled children. And even now, what has been requested would only raise the federal share of these costs from 12.6 to 13 percent."8