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JEFFORDS LEADS BI-PARTISAN EFFORT TO FULLY FUND
SPECIAL EDUCATION
- TO OFFER AMENDMENT TO BUDGET RESOLUTION -
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords, R - Vt.,
plans to offer an amendment to the Budget Resolution on Thursday to
mandate that the federal government pay its full share of special
education funding. The amendment calls for $2 billion in additional
funding for special education each year for five years, raising
federal special education funding from $5 billion per year to close
to $16 billion per year. Under Jeffords' amendment, Vermont would
see its federal funding for special education rise from $10.2
million per year to $32.9 million per year.
"Increasing
federal funding for special education is the most important thing we
can do to help our schools," said Jeffords, the Chairman of the
Senate's Health and Education Committee.
25 years ago, the federal government promised it would
provide 40
percent of the national average per pupil expenditure
for each child with a disability being educated by our nation's
schools. Last year it provided 12.5 percent.
"I can't think of a better way to celebrate the silver
anniversary
of the federal special education law than to deliver
on our vows," concluded Jeffords.
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