Because the federal government is breaking its pledge to fund 40 percent of the cost of special education, local school districts have to pick up the difference between what the state and federal governments pay and the actual cost.
Society has an indisputable obligation to fund programs that help children with special needs.
Those labor-intensive programs, however, are expensive. The Minnesota House of Representatives has passed a resolution asking the Federal Government to keep its promise and pay the entire 40 percent. That s not likely to happen. Some legislators are planning to introduce legislation that would have the state pay more for special education. Legislators, however, are being besieged to spend more money on the basic per-student formula, which includes the special needs students.