Kids with LD: Recipe for Parenting Stress
January 19, 2026
Recent Posts
Trump’s Budget: What Parents Need to Know
By Matt Saleh, J.D., Ph.D.
A whirlwind of federal legal activity has left parents uncertain and concerned about their children’s educational futures. Things continue to move quickly. Probably the most important recent developments include the passing of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” and moves signaled in the Fiwscal Year 2026 budget plan. What do parents need to know?
BIG PICTURE
The new budget has significant—but complex—implications for special education. On one hand, the proposed budget reflects the Administration’s objectives related to reducing federal education oversight and funding, as well as diverting funds towards school choice efforts.
On the other hand, it is important to know that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is also a federal law that contains required funding obligations for states and legal protections for students. The current budget plan—while not yet finalized—does not propose cuts to federal IDEA spending. This includes IDEA Part B funding for special education and related services, which make up 95% of IDEA funding. These funds aren’t going away, but they may be spent differently.
THIS BUDGET DOESN’T LET SCHOOLS “OFF THE HOOK”
Public debates about the new budget can lead to misconceptions that harm parents. A bill favoring Trump’s agenda doesn’t mean schools can stop following the law.
Annually, federal IDEA funds cover about 11% of the per-pupil cost of providing special education and related services. State and local funds cover most of your child’s services. IDEA requires districts to show “maintenance of effort.” This means they must show they are spending at least the same amount of state and local funds on special education services as they did the previous year.
It’s important to understand that the new budget does not give your school leverage to deny required services.
BUT THERE ARE SERIOUS CONCERNS…
That said, the budget plan’s maintenance of prior year IDEA funding is misleading. The devil is in the details. IDEA is already widely considered to be badly underfunded. Because of this, schools often patch together funds from other funding streams. The new budget plan aims to cut some of these key sources of supplemental funding and “consolidates” some IDEA spending in ways that reduce accountability.
For instance, in the new budget plan, funds for preschool special education services and parent information centers would be “pooled” into the larger general special education allocation. Critics argue this reduces accountability and is particularly damaging for parents with children under three and low-income families.
Cuts to other federal programs may also exacerbate these issues. For instance, the new budget proposes made major cuts to programs like Medicaid and Every Student Succeeds Act Title I after-school programs.
Title I provides supplemental supports like affordable childcare, homework assistance, and recreational activities that can be vital for students with learning disabilities. Schools routinely use Medicaid dollars to cover the costs of support services that are directly relevant to students with disabilities, such as nurses, school psychologists, counselors, and assistive technologies.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The current proposed budget represents a turn towards reduced federal oversight, tightening of already cash-strapped programs, and diverting of funds to privatization and school choice. Less federal oversight makes students and families more susceptible to the whims and budget constraints of their home state and district. Diversion of federal dollars to school choice efforts pulls funds from already cash-strapped public schools. None of this is good, but remember that a new budget doesn’t absolve your school of legal requirements.
Matt Saleh is a lecturer in Cornell University’s Disability Studies program and Director of Cornell’s Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative.
Candace Cortiella
The proposed budget discussed in this blog refers to the President’s Budget Proposal, which is the first step in the annual budget and appropriations process (see https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/budget/the-presidents-fy-2026-discretionary-budget-request/ ). It is just that – a proposal. Congress makes the final decision regarding federal funding for IDEA. Congress had not yet released its draft appropriations bill for education. Whether any of the changes in the President’s Budget Proposal will get incorporated into an appropriations bill remains to be seen. The House, which begins the appropriations process, should release its draft till in a week or so. (here’s a look at the process: https://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/process )
However, a few of the issues raised here pertain to the recently enacted Big, Beautiful Bill Act (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1 ) specifically, the school choice provision.
The “maintenance of effort” provision is in IDEA, not the budget plan. (See https://www.advocacyinstitute.org/resources/IDEA.FundingSeriesIssueBrief1-OverviewStateandLocal%20MOE.pdf)
The IDEA does not contain any “funding obligations” – it authorizes federal funding at 40 percent of the excess cost of special education. That level – which has never been reached – is known as “full funding” See http://ideamoneywatch.com/balancesheet/?p=1166
Our IDEA Money Watch project provides tracking of the appropriations process. See http://www.ideamoneywatch.com/main/