Federal funding is an important 'IDEA'

In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, commonly referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA contains a funding provision allowing the federal government to pay for up to 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure.

In Fiscal Year 2001, the federal government allocated $6.3 billion to fund IDEA at a level of only 14.9 percent (Department of Education). This appropriated amount was $11 billion short of the 40 percent benchmark (Committee for Education Funding).

The federal shortfall in IDEA financial support is causing deficit spending by many local districts funding special education in compliance with federal statutes. Particularly in small towns, students with even moderate special needs can quickly deplete a local budget to the detriment of educating all students. Local districts spend approximately $102 billion on special education nationwide, thus proving the need for full funding of IDEA necessary.

Clearly, funding for IDEA is not high enough. The federal government must live up to its commitment to fund special education at the 40 percent benchmark. Therefore, I propose the following three initiatives.

One, the funding of IDEA must change from a discretionary spending program to a state entitlement program. Currently, as a discretionary program, the funding levels are subject to the annual approval of Congress. As an entitlement, Congress will be required to pay the funds fully, rather than selecting the percentage annually.

The adjustment will not jeopardize the level of federal discretionary spending on education, since discretionary spending and entitlements are separate. Rather, alternative education programs could use the approximately $8 billion in discretionary spending currently appropriated for IDEA.

Two, complete entitlement funding at 40 percent must begin immediately, with the necessary adjustments made to the proposed budget. Projected data estimates Congress will need to allocate approximately $20.1 billion for Fiscal Year 2005 (Department of Education).

Rather than phase-in the increased level of funding over several years, this proposal makes the changes immediate. The government is currently in the process of trying to phase in the funding, but a program of gradual increases would not allow for full funding until nearly halfway through this century. Local districts need the money now, not later.

Congress has pontificated for decades that the funding of special education at the 40 percent level is only years away. Year after year, states wait with false hopes for the promise to come true. Almost 30 years since the original promise, the federal government is not even funding half of its commitment to special education.

Three, since increased federal aid will eliminate costs on the local level, the law must prohibit local districts from cutting education spending because of the federal aid. The goal of fully funding IDEA is to free up money so that districts can invest in other education programs such as teachers' salaries and class size reductions.

Allowing localities to reduce spending is not the intent of increasing federal aid for special education. Instead, stymieing skyrocketing special education costs so local districts will have resources to provide innovative educational opportunities for all students in the district is the rationale of the aid package.

Several obstacles exist concerning the implementation of this plan. First, critics will argue that government should increase the spending incrementally by about $2 billion each year for several years.

However, a method of gradual increases is subject to the annual approval of Congress and this method has been unsuccessful in the past. Federal funding has increased slightly annually, but at the current rate, full funding is decades away.

Second, critics argue the government presently does not have the money, especially since states need funding for "No Child Left Behind." If special education is changed to a fully funded entitlement program, more money can be used to pay for new federal mandates.

Policy makers believe the President's budget has undefended No Child Left Behind by approximately $7 billion. Amazingly, if special education were not a discretionary program, $8 billion dollars of the federal budget will be freed up. The federal government could use this money to make up for the $7 billion shortfall of No Child Left Behind.

The numbers are almost too good to be true, but they are not a mirage. There are no smoke and mirrors in this analysis. If Congress lived up to its promise by making IDEA an entitlement program, it could also live up to its promise to fund federal education mandates.

Additionally, the criticism states need more funding for No Child Left Behind ignores the fact the increase in federal special education aid will help schools free up funds to best enact the provisions of No Child Left Behind. If local districts do not pay the entire burden of skyrocketing special education costs, superintendents will be able to create new and innovative programs to benefit all students.

Before the President and the Congress makes any more education funding mandates for the states, they should reevaluate their own funding commitments and promises. If they do, the only reasonable conclusion is that the federal government has reneged on its financial commitments.

Most local school districts have great ideas for additional educational programs. Many times, superintendents must delay new solutions and new programs because of a lack of funds in the town budget.

Funding special education by $13 billion more than the currently appropriate $8 billion will make a huge difference to municipalities. Using the created surplus in discretionary spending to fund No Child Left Behind an additional $8 billion will also greatly assist local districts.

As a result, the proposal to immediately and to fully fund special education as an entitlement program has great advantages for educational opportunity. Congress must act now, before local districts must compromise education programs.

The federal government must fulfill the 29-year-old promise to fund IDEA, so schools can most efficiently utilize local resources. When the federal government fully funds special education at a level of 40 percent, the education of all children in this country will dramatically improve.