Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates the right to a free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities. When Congress passed the IDEA in 1975, it committed federal resources to make up for the higher-than-average cost of providing an appropriate education for these children. However, Congress has never appropriated the full federal share, and as a result, IDEA has been an underfunded federal mandate ever since it was passed. Minnesota school districts have been left to pick up the extra cost.
That’s why Senator Franken cosponsored the IDEA Full Funding Act. This bill would ramp up federal funding for IDEA over a period of five years so that Congress would finally live up to its commitment to fund its share of the cost of educating students with disabilities. The bill would put money into the hands of Minnesota school districts struggling to balance their budgets so that they can pay for the crucial services that our students need to learn and succeed. Federal under-funding of IDEA puts a large burden on local communities and leads to stagnant special education programs.
