Fact Check: Congress funds only 10% of special education costs, breaking a 1975 promise.

Fact Check: "Congress funds only 10% of special education costs, breaking a 1975 promise."

What We Know

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted by Congress in 1975 with a commitment to fund 40% of the average per pupil expenditure for special education. However, as of recent reports, Congress has consistently failed to meet this funding promise, with current federal funding levels estimated at less than 13% of the costs associated with special education (Van Hollen, Huffman Introduce Bill to Fully Fund Special..., Huffman, Van Hollen Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation to...). The shortfall in funding for the 2021-2022 school year alone was reported to be approximately $23.92 billion nationwide (Van Hollen, Huffman Introduce Bill to Fully Fund Special...).

Analysis

The claim that Congress only funds about 10% of special education costs is supported by multiple sources that indicate the federal government is currently providing approximately 13% of the promised funding under IDEA. This is significantly below the original commitment of 40%. The IDEA Full Funding Act, recently reintroduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Jared Huffman, aims to address this underfunding by mandating regular increases in IDEA spending to fulfill the federal obligation to support special education (Huffman, Van Hollen Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation to...).

The reliability of these sources is high, as they come from official press releases by U.S. lawmakers and reputable organizations advocating for educational equity. The statistics regarding funding levels are corroborated by the Congressional Research Service, which provides a credible basis for understanding the financial commitments made by Congress (Van Hollen, Huffman Introduce Bill to Fully Fund Special...). Furthermore, the historical context provided by these sources highlights the ongoing struggle to meet the needs of students with disabilities, reinforcing the claim's validity.

However, some sources may exhibit a degree of bias, particularly those advocating for increased funding, as they may emphasize the negative impacts of underfunding without providing a balanced view of the complexities involved in federal education funding. Nevertheless, the core data regarding funding levels remains consistent across multiple credible reports.

Conclusion

The claim that "Congress funds only 10% of special education costs, breaking a 1975 promise" is True. The current federal funding for special education is indeed below the promised 40%, with estimates indicating it is around 13%. This significant shortfall confirms that Congress has not fulfilled its commitment made nearly five decades ago.

Fact Check: Congress funds only 10% of special education costs, breaking a 1975 promise.