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JEFFORDS FIGHTS FOR SPECIAL
EDUCATION
FUNDING
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Senate voted last night on an
amendment offered by U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords, R - Vt., that would
have provided $1.3 billion in additional funding for special
education. The amendment, which was offered on the Education
spending bill, failed on a 47 to 51 vote.
"Passing this amendment will do more to help our school districts
meet their obligation to improve education in this country than
nearly anything else we can do. Our amendment will increase
the Federal share from about 13% to nearly 19%. We promised
it. We should deliver it. The time is now," said
Jeffords on the Senate floor last night.
Jeffords' amendment was endorsed by the Vermont School Boards
Association and during debate on the amendment Jeffords displayed
petitions from every school board in Vermont urging Congress to
increase funding for special education.
Jeffords has led Senate efforts in recent years to increase
funding for special education. Over the past 4
years, Jeffords and others have increased special education
funding dramatically. Thanks to this increase and to a formula
change Senator Jeffords included in the 1997 rewrite of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Vermont will receive
$10,152,000 in special education funding in this year, compared to
$4,547,917 in 1997, a 123 percent increase.
"This issue won't go away," said Jeffords. "I will continue
my efforts to increase federal special education funding at every
opportunity."
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