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Bloomfield Hills Schools adopts resolution calling for full, permanent IDEA funding
Summary
Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress and the state legislature to fully and permanently fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), noting the district serves 16.4% students with disabilities and that current federal funding meets only ~10.7% of the original federal commitment.
The Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution on March 25 calling on Congress to enact a 10-year mandatory path to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and urging the state legislature to increase education funding to mitigate long-term underfunding.
Why it matters: The resolution highlights the district’s special-education responsibilities (the district reported 16.4% of students with disabilities) and states that federal funding for IDEA has historically fallen short of the statutory commitment; the motion cited an estimated current federal funding level of about 10.7% of the original federal pledge.
Trustee Paul Cohen read the resolution aloud and moved its adoption. The document described the historical federal pledge to fund approximately 40% of the average per-pupil expenditure for special education and declared that the current funding shortfall requires districts to reallocate money from other programs.
The board voted 7–0 to adopt the resolution. The motion included language asking Congress to pass named legislation referenced in the meeting transcript as "Section 2217, HR 4519" (as read during the meeting) and for the state legislature to pursue adequate, equitable, and sustainable funding increases.
Provenance: The resolution was read and adopted in the board-business section of the meeting beginning at SEG 2232 and concluding with the vote at SEG 2312.
