Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Full Funding of State Formula

Publication Date: December 2001

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

Type:

Abstract:

The grants to states program of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) assists participating states to serve school-age children with disabilities. The state funding formula, which provides a foundation amount based on states' FY1999 grants and allocates remaining amounts based on states' shares of school-age children and of school-age poor children, authorizes a maximum allotment per disabled child served of 40% of the national average per pupil expenditure (APPE). Annual appropriations have never been sufficient to provide each state its maximum allotment; in FY2002, states will receive approximately 16.5% of the national APPE per disabled child served. Some advocates for the program have called upon the Congress to fully fund the formula. An estimated $18.2 billion would be required to provide states the maximum allotment allowed per disabled child served in FY2002, about 2.4 times more than the appropriation of $7.5 billion for FY2002. This report will be updated to reflect major legislation and changes in data related to full funding.