Idaho schools face special education funding gap. This is one plan to help
Idaho school districts for years have faced a significant special education funding gap — one that officials have estimated now tops $100 million. A new bill aims to start to address that.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Camille Blaylock, R-Caldwell, would create a fund to help provide money for school districts educating students with disabilities who need services that are costlier, like a nurse or an ASL interpreter.
“When a district, particularly a small or rural district, has even one of these students, it can place serious strain on their budget,” Blaylock told committee members Thursday.
The bill is similar to one lawmakers narrowly rejected last year, but Blaylock said it has been refined since then. The bill, she said, provides a structured reimbursement process, documentation requirements and annual reporting to “ensure transparency and accountability.”
The fiscal note in the bill proposes using $5 million in one-time, existing state funding.
Under the bill, school districts can apply for reimbursement for any high-needs student for costs beyond $30,000 per student, with a maximum reimbursement of up to $100,000 per student. The fund isn’t intended to be used for routine classroom costs, like basic materials and supplies, and should be calculated to include any Medicaid reimbursements, according to the bill.
The State Department of Education would administer the program.
Under federal law, school districts must provide a free and appropriate public education to all students with disabilities.
Lawmakers voted to introduce the bill without discussion.
Special education long underfunded
Idaho has long faced challenges with special education funding.
State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield has estimated the gap between what school districts spend on special education and what they receive is over $100 million. Idaho also consistently ranks last or near last in per pupil education funding, and uses a decades-old funding formula that fails to account for the actual numbers of students with disabilities that school districts educate.
Families across Idaho previously told the Idaho Statesman that their children’s schools have not provided them with the services and resources they needed, and in some cases, have failed to identify students who needed special education in the first place.
In recent years, parents have increasingly resorted to filing complaints with the state, alleging that their school districts violated federal disability law.
In August, Critchfield proposed a $50 million bump in special education funding as part of her budget proposal for the next fiscal year. But late last year, she backed off the push in the face of a challenging state budget. State officials are now grappling with how to deal with an expected budget deficit and are searching for areas to cut.
Last month, Rep. Ben Fuhriman, R-Shelley, introduced a joint memorial calling for Congress to better fund special education. The memorial says the shortfall in federal funding for special education has “placed a growing financial burden” on taxpayers, schools and families and limits resources available for students with disabilities.
House lawmakers approved the memorial, 40-28, but it must still be approved by senators.
