Special Education Funds Being Diverted

posted on Jan 12 by Stacy in the Disability News category

Special education received a boost of 11.3 billion in funding from the stimulus plan, however some school districts in Florida and Nevada have found a little used loophole in the law to direct the funding elsewhere. A provision in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act allows school districts that are performing well to lower contribution to special education in years when the federal government increases funding for the program. School administrators state that by shifting the money it will allow them to save jobs and valuable programs that will benefit a wider range of students. Supporters of special education believe that special needs students are being shortchanged. President of the Learning Disabilities Association of Florida said that he would have liked to see the funds spark “new and innovative programs” for special education. “This is a slap in the face,” said Candace Cortiella, director of the Advocacy Institute, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that advises students with disabilities. “This historic funding that could have had a huge impact with [special-education] students, and states and districts have instead chosen to minimize the amount of good.”