Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee members warn SJR 650 could jeopardize special-education and other federal-funded programs
Summary
Several committee members and a longtime special-education teacher warned that urging dismantling the federal Department of Education could put Title I, special education, Pell and adult-education funding at risk and shift costs to local districts.
President Johnson, who said he taught special education for 27 years, told the committee that federal dollars support services that helped students graduate and enter careers: "Those federal dollars, which are only a small portion of our education... Are we gonna be able to make all of that up so we can ensure all of those programs happen?" He named special education, career and technical education, Title I and Pell as programs that could be affected.
Regent McKenzie echoed concern about program loss and pressed the sponsor to specify which federal programs would be removed. She also criticized the sponsor's reliance on long-range spending comparisons, calling some of the statistical framing "perfunctory" and saying the comparison "doesn't hold water" without context on wages and prices. Members repeatedly noted the risk that state or local systems would need to replace federal funding to maintain services.
