The Changemaker 5/25/26
IDEA Gets $144M. The Gap Remains.
The Department released held formula grants — but $144M covers less than 0.5% of the documented funding gap. Plus: device restriction policies vs. IEP technology accommodations.
IDEA funding released — context required
The Department of Education released $144 million in IDEA funding this week — $123.6 million in Part B funds and $20.5 million in Part C funds. The release ends a months-long hold on formula grants.
The number sounds substantial. Context is required: $144 million covers less than 0.5% of the documented IDEA funding gap. Federal funding currently covers approximately 14.7% of the excess cost of educating students with disabilities. In 1975, Congress committed to covering 40% of those costs. That commitment has never been met.
Districts receiving Part B funds should note that Maintenance of Effort requirements under 34 CFR § 300.203 remain in effect. Release of federal funds does not change local spending baseline obligations.
Device restriction policies vs. IEP technology accommodations
Blanket device restriction policies are colliding with IEP technology accommodations in districts across the country. Schools implementing phone or device bans must navigate a legal reality: those policies cannot override an IEP that includes technology as a required accommodation or as specially designed instruction.
Under IDEA, 34 CFR § 300.105 requires that assistive technology devices and services be provided when required to provide FAPE. A district policy that prohibits device use cannot supersede an individual student's right to the technology specified in their IEP.
Practical steps for SPED directors
- Review all device restriction policies for carve-outs that explicitly protect IEP-mandated technology
- Audit IEPs for technology accommodations before implementing blanket bans
- Train building administrators on the legal hierarchy: IDEA requirements take precedence over general school policy
- Document exceptions consistently to protect the district in any future dispute
Write the exception into the policy before it goes to the board
When a school adopts a blanket device policy without a carve-out for students with disabilities, it is not merely an oversight — it is a compliance failure. The IEP is a legally binding document. The accommodations in it are not optional. A building administrator who enforces a device ban against a student whose IEP requires a tablet is violating federal law, even if they don't know it.
The fix is not complicated: write the exception into the policy before it goes to the board. Every device policy needs language that explicitly exempts students whose IEPs or 504 plans require technology. SPED directors should be in the room when these policies are drafted — not called in afterward to manage the fallout.
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