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Tell Congress to Prioritize Students with Disabilities in the FY 2026 Appropriations Bills
The White House has proposed a Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget that recommends STEEP cuts to education including by eliminating specific investments in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Preschool (ages 3-5) and Part D National Activities and other harmful cuts. Such changes are not authorized under IDEA which requires the Secretary to issue preschool funds to states and support parent training and information centers, personnel preparation for special educators/specialized personnel, research in low and high incidence disabilities, technical assistance [for districts and states] in evidence-based practices including accessible classrooms/assistive technology, and more.
Tell Congress to reject the WH FY 2026 budget proposal, fund all parts of IDEA, and continue to invest in and support PreK-12 funding essential to early intervention, hiring and providing professional learning to teachers, counselors, specialists, and others essential to creating positive learning environments and educating all students, so students with disabilities have access to early intervention and the supports and services they need to access career training, post secondary education, employment and other meaningful life outcomes.
Prioritize Students with Disabilities: Fund ALL Parts of IDEA in FY 2026 and Support Students with Disabilities in PreK-12 Schools
I am writing to request that you invest in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other key education programs that support students with disabilities.
It is imperative the Congress reject the White House (WH) FY 2026 budget proposal and support education funding in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bill to ensure states and districts have adequate funds to provide preschool education to children with disabilities ages 3-5 and specific funding required under IDEA to hire personnel and provide professional learning for teachers, counselors, specialists, and others essential to creating positive learning environments and educating all students, including students with disabilities.
Given that 80 percent of the 8 million students with disabilities spend more than 60 percent of their school day in general classes in regular schools, the impact of the proposed partisan cuts in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor-HHS bill would be devastating to schools and students. Any cuts to K-12 education programs will place students with disabilities at great risk of being segregated from their peers in the regular classroom and likely assure they will not receive a free, appropriate public education as required under IDEA.
I appreciate you considering the following funding recommendations:
Fund IDEA Part B Sec. 611 (ages 6-21) at $16.661 B. This funding will ensure that States and districts are provided resources critical to providing specialized educational services to children with disabilities. Currently states and local school districts offset more than $31 billion annually thus, increased funding for IDEA has received bipartisan support because it helps ensure districts can address massive staffing shortages, provide training to personnel and support PreK-12 students' needs. Most importantly, IDEA funding also helps ensure ongoing collaboration between schools and families so that students can have the same important opportunities and outcomes as their peers.
I recommend these education investments in support of students with disabilities:
IDEA: Part B Sec. 619 (ages 3-4): $491 M (Please reject the WH proposal to eliminate direct funding for preschool.)
IDEA: Part C (ages 0-2): $632 M
IDEA Part D – National Activities (Please reject the WH proposal to eliminate/change authorization of these essential federally authorized activities.)
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State Personnel Development Grants: $44.4 M
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Technical Assistance/Development: $36.2 M
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IDEA Personnel Preparation: $135 M
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Parent Training Information Centers: $38.15 M
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Education Technology and Media: $36.7 M
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Natl. Center for Special Ed Research: $70 M
Office for Civil Rights: $163.8 M
Higher Education Transition Program, Students w/Intellectual Disabilities: $13.8 M
Title I (low-income schools/districts): $21.58 B
Thank you for considering these recommendations and for rejecting the harmful cuts to IDEA's programs. PreK-12 students with disabilities and their families are counting on you to ensure all schools and districts have adequate funding through FY 2026 appropriations so they can access preschool and early intervention programs, career training, post secondary education, employment and other meaningful life outcomes.
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