Ferguson Reintroduces Special Education Bill

Ferguson Reintroduces Special Education Bill

U.S. Rep. Michael Ferguson (R-NJ) and a bi-partisan group of lawmakers have introduced a proposal that would boost federal special education funding to more than $30 billion by 2016, and ensure that Washington meets its unfulfilled commitment to help states pay for special education.

H.R. 821, the Everyone Deserves Unconditional Access to Education Act, also would make funding automatic in the federal budget based on the number of students who qualify each year. Under existing law, Congress must approve special education funding annually.

Ferguson initially introduced the legislation in 2001 and in each congressional session since. In the six years since that bill gained bi-partisan support on Capitol Hill, federal funding for special education has failed to keep pace with the nationwide growing demands for special education programs, especially in New Jersey.

Support Bill NJSBA supports H.R. 821 and Ferguson’s efforts to bring attention to the issue. The National School Boards Association, along with a broader coalition of education groups, also has endorsed this bill.

Congress enacted the landmark Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. It mandates that every student, including those with disabilities, receive a free and appropriate public education. The law also committed the federal government to contribute 40 percent of special education costs, which often are several times higher than educating other students. The federal government has never fulfilled that commitment.

N.J. Funding Needs This year, New Jersey education officials estimate they will spend more than $4 billion in combined federal, state and local funds to administrator special education programs for nearly 250,000 students. There are 7 million students nationwide who qualify for special education.

New Jersey’s share of federal special education funding amounts to more than $333 million this year. If the federal government met its 40 percent funding commitment, then New Jersey would have received more than $843 million.