K-12 Alliance of Michigan Hails Reintroduction of Bicameral IDEA Full Funding Act
Act Would Finally See U.S. Live Up to 50-Year-Old Unmet Promise to Students
LANSING, Mich., April 4, 2025 —2025 represents the 50th Anniversary of the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that set the standard for special education in America, however, educators have consistently highlighted the unmet funding promises that have gone along with that over the years. While Congress pledged to fund 40% of the additional costs schools face in implementing IDEA, they have never allocated more than 18% in any given year since. Currently, federal spending only covers about 12% of those costs, requiring schools to pull funding from other programs and impacting the education of every student.
Today, as a bipartisan group reintroduced the IDEA Full Funding Act in both the US Senate and House of Representatives, the K-12 Alliance of Michigan praised the efforts and highlighted the critical importance of funding this program at long last.
"For 50 years, the federal government has been underfunding one of the most critical needs in public schools across the country that directly impacts our ability to provide the support necessary for the success of our special education students,” said Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan. “The IDEA Full Funding Act would right that wrong and see the federal government finally live up to the promises it made to students, parents and educators 50 years ago."
"At a time in which partisan politics is often at its worst, the IDEA Full Funding Act being reintroduced with bipartisan sponsorship reflects the real support these programs have in our schools and the understanding of the consequences that impact all of our students when they aren't funded properly,” McCann continued. “We are grateful for our own bipartisan delegation from Michigan, including Rep. Lisa McClain, Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Shri Thanedar, Rep. Hillary Scholten and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who signed onto this important legislation as co-sponsors and continue to champion this critically needed legislation.
"As 2025 now represents the 50th anniversary of the IDEA Act being passed, our schools cannot wait any longer for Congress to live up to the promises it made then and fully fund this program,” McCann concluded. “We join with education partners from across the nation in calling on Congress to pass the bicameral IDEA Full Funding Act to ensure all children with disabilities can access a free, high-quality public education."
For more information on K-12 Alliance of Michigan, visit www.k12michigan.org/.
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The K-12 Alliance of Michigan is a coalition of education leaders committed to fighting for strong K-12 schools across Michigan. Comprised of Superintendents from every district in Genesee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne counties, they are collectively responsible for educating over half of Michigan’s students.