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Special Education Funding Special education programs for students in New Hampshire and across the nation deserve sufficient levels of federal funding under the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” – IDEA. That is why John has worked consistently during his time in Congress toward the goal of having the federal government fully fund its fair share of special education costs under this law. This issue is of particular concern to New Hampshire, where education is primarily funded at the local level. Requiring the federal government to make good on its promise to fund it portion of the special education bill is important to Granite State taxpayers and critical for our special needs students. Since coming to Congress in 1997, the federal share of IDEA has increased by 254% -- from $3.1 billion in fiscal year 1997 to $11 billion in fiscal year 2008. More work certainly remains, as we must fulfill the federal government’s share of at least 40% of the excess cost of serving disabled children. Ultimately, these funds will relieve local school districts of some of the financial constraints they are facing today. During each of the past five years, John has called
on Senate appropriators to fund special education at the highest
level possible. Most recently, this included signing a letter to
Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin and Ranking member Arlen Specter
of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and related Agencies (Labor-HHS-ED) in support of funding
for IDEA. Specifically, the letter calls on the committee to provide
the highest possible level of IDEA funding when drafting the fiscal
year 2009 Labor-HHS-ED appropriations bill. |
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