NPR

The Trump administration’s budget proposal includes $16 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that guarantees students with disabilities a “free appropriate public education.” That’s one area where the department is proposing to boost spending by $539 million over last year.” We’ve been clear. Shifting authority back to the states will not come at the expense of essential federal programs,” said McMahon of the requested increase. Yet McMahon has also pledged to shift supervision and enforcement of IDEA to other agencies as a part of its effort to dismantle the Education Department, a move many special education advocates oppose. When asked about those efforts, McMahon said that while her team is still making a final decision, the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services are two potential homes for special education. To that, Murray said she has heard from parents and advocates who are “spitting mad, because they want to ensure their child with a disability has an education.” “Moving [special education] out of the department is not only undermining that,” Murray said, “but it’s a direct message to them that their health is more important than their education.”