K-12 Dive

Special education initiatives were a priority for several governors in their annual state of state addresses — including in Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania — at a time when the national count of students with disabilities continues to rise and as the U.S. Department of Education moves more K-12 responsibilities to the states. In Kansas, for instance, Gov. Laura Kelly highlighted the state’s $120 million investment in special education programs in recent years during her January speech. Kelly is also proposing $50 million to support students with disabilities in fiscal year 2027. States are facing myriad challenges when it comes to overall K-12 public school funding, including a shrinking student population, competition with private school choice, the expiration of federal COVID-19 emergency aid, and state fiscal pressures for early and higher education programs, housing, and older adults services.