Well, with the outcome of the election, special education (SPED) is on the chopping block for the nation, as the incoming Trump administration has vowed to end the department of education. According to Forbes, the IDEA funding (approximately $15 billion) will be sent to the states for the states to determine how to spend it. Which means, parents and people who live in a state like Texas, will now have to lobby and beg our state leadership to fund our districts. Considering how the current leadership has punished the cities based on voting, by sending money to their base (through measures like disaster relief or RobinHood) there is little to be optimistic about.
For some recent history, due to a legal ruling, Texas special education lost $300 million in federal support (from Medicaid) for the 2023 year, which created a $5 million budget shortfall for HISD. Unfortunately, SPED funding is murky, so the idea of an overhaul or living up to the promises (up to 40% of the costs supported by the Fed) was always welcomed, however there was little to no political push to help clear this up, because we do not elect serious people to handle serious problems.
So putting this all together. SPED programs are likely to become another political football without the federal guardrails to keep bad actors from punishing people. This impacts some of our most vulnerable population and those who live with them. SPED services include supporting people who need a little help with speech, dyslexia, OT for motor skills and emotional regulation, autism support, and diaper changes for children who have severe motor or intellectual disabilities.