Special Education
Laws & News
Across the States
NC: Chatham County second grader with autism publishes book navigating loss of school support
WRAL.com
When Hollee Ferrara went to her son, Xion’s school for a three-year review of his individualized educational plan, often referred to as an IEP, she came prepared with a 19-page medical review and expected everything to go smoothly. What she didn’t expect was the uphill battle with the administration at Pittsboro Elementary, where she often felt like she was the only advocate for her son. Xion, who is now in second grade, was diagnosed with autism when he was very young. Throughout school, his IEP has focused on supportive tools to help navigate stress, regulate his emotions and be successful in the classroom. Hollee was taken aback when the school psychologist told her that he was no longer a candidate for special education. “I was very blindsided when they said he was too intelligent for autism to affect his academics,” Hollie Ferrara said.
After his parents appealed the school’s decision, Xion was granted a new IEP. During a class assignment, Xion created a book on an online app called “Crazy Maisey and Xion”, inspired to write about his grandma’s new puppy, Maisey. He excitedly told his mom about it when he came home from school. Hollie quickly realized the story was something more, it was how Xion was making sense of everything he was feeling. She encouraged him to expand the project and together they created, “Crazy Maisey and the boy who understood” – a story about a dog who is trying her best but is constantly misunderstood and gets into trouble. In the story, Maisey is a stir-crazy pup, who needs attention and toys to help her stay focused. When she loses her toys, she struggles, just like Xion did when he lost his IEP.
Ed Department Funding For Special Education Research May Soon Lapse
Disability Scoop
Congress mandates that millions of dollars each year go toward researching best practices in special education, but a new analysis warns that the vast majority of the funds could go unspent this year.
The Trump administration has not allocated 84% of the money budgeted for special education research through the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, according to a review of publicly available data conducted by Knowledge Alliance, a nonprofit comprised of leading education organizations that advocates for federal investment in education research.
The government has until Sept. 30 to spend $77 million on the special education research and evaluation program, but only $11 million has been spoken for so far. The remaining funds are now at risk of lapsing.
CA: Fresno County shifts job training model to place students with disabilities in workplaces
EdSource
After a recent morning rush at a Fresno Grocery Outlet, 22-year-old Elena Santos moved down each aisle to return misplaced food items to their proper places. She brought vitamins to the front of the shelves and neatly arranged hygiene products. These tasks were once difficult for her because of a cognitive disability. Santos struggles to process things, especially when overwhelmed. Knowing where to find items makes her life easier, which is what she has been doing for customers since she started gaining hands-on experience at the grocery store in October. Santos is one of the dozens of teens and young adults with disabilities working in local businesses as employees and schools as teachers’ aides through a Fresno County program that is rethinking how vocational education prepares students for the workforce.
“Now they’re placed in community businesses where they’re employees alongside everybody else,” said Liza Stack, who oversees the program. “They’re building skills and contributing to the team.”
CA: How a Stockton teacher is working to remove a ‘roadblock’ to college for disabled students
Stocktonia News
Like many other students with disabilities, school, Madellyn Hill said she remembers, was never easy. Since grade school, she struggled but kept going. And after years of what she calls resilience, the Stockton paraeducator is set to graduate with her associate degree this June from Foothill College. But not before she lives out another “dream” — advocating for students, like her, navigating disability support services at California colleges. Making her way to the state Capitol Tuesday, Hill began her push for AB 1713. The bill, inspired by Hill and introduced by Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy), would require public colleges and universities in the state to accept IEPs and 504s, a similar plan, as proof of a person’s disability. “Being sent off for a new diagnosis, especially for students with chronic conditions, is stressful, time consuming and often costly,” said Ransom before the assembly’s higher education committee at the state Capitol Tuesday. “This is just another road block our education system sets in their way.” Multiple studies, including one published in The Journal of Higher Education in 2024, show testing, often not covered by health insurance, can be costly. Some, as reported by the New York Times, can cost up to $10,000.
IL: Chicago Archdiocese says CPS has restored funding for students with disabilities in Catholic schools
CBS Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago said Chicago Public Schools is restoring funding for students with disabilities in Catholic schools starting Monday. Last week, the archdiocese accused CPS of abruptly pulling the funding from only Catholic schools before the school year ended, even questioning if the district had mismanaged money and if the district was targeting their religious schools. But CPS disputed those accusations, saying in a statement that they had told the archdiocese in multiple meetings that they were spending federal funds too fast and were on track to run out before the end of the school year. In a statement, the archdiocese said CPS will restore special education instructional services starting Monday, April 20, and last through the Friday before Memorial Day.
MN: After approving special education cuts, some Minnesota lawmakers seek reversal
Sun Current
A 2025 law mandating a $250 million cut to special education is prompting bipartisan pushback at the Minnesota Capitol, as school districts warn of widespread negative impacts. Last year, the Legislature passed a law establishing a Blue Ribbon Commission, tasking it with finding $250 million in special education cuts by October 2026, with reductions set to take effect in July 2027. The commission says it needs more time to complete its work. But the law states the cuts are mandatory, regardless of whether specific reductions are identified. A bill authored by Rep. Ben Bakeberg, R-Jordan, would give the commission more time and eliminate the automatic funding cut. The measure was unanimously advanced in the House Education Finance Committee on April 14 and is headed to another committee for further consideration.
In addition to nearly a dozen in-person testifiers, 214 people submitted testimony expressing their support for his bill, Bakeberg said. Under a 2023 law, the state currently pays 50% of the gap between the cost of special education services and the amount covered by federal and state aid.
NJ: Op-Ed: The special ed audit that’s outlasting childhoods.
Jersey City Times
At the March 2026 Jersey City Board of Education meeting, twenty parents and community members stood one by one at the podium and read, in turn, a single continuous speech. They came because students with disabilities in Jersey City Public Schools deserve better than what this district has given them.
SC: South Carolina lawmakers review “Educator Safety and Classroom Authority Act”
WRHI
South Carolina legislators are evaluating a new proposal designed to provide teachers with greater authority and protection in the face of classroom violence and disruptions. The Educator Safety and Classroom Authority Act of 2026 aims to reshape how student behavior is managed, granting educators more control over who remains in their learning environments. A primary component of the bill addresses the immediate return of disruptive students. Under the proposed rules, if a teacher dismisses a student for violent or disruptive behavior, that student would be barred from returning to the same classroom for the remainder of the day without the teacher’s explicit consent. Furthermore, the legislation authorizes the use of reasonable physical force by educators in self-defense or to quell violence, and it establishes a pathway for the permanent removal of students in extreme cases. The bill has faced scrutiny regarding its impact on students with disabilities. Advocacy groups expressed concerns that the measure could conflict with federal protections, such as Individualized Education Programs (IEP). In response, lawmakers are considering an amendment to clarify that while teachers may initiate removals for immediate safety, long-term placement decisions for students with disabilities would remain the responsibility of a specialized IEP team.
PA: Disabled children are being kicked out of preschools at alarming rates, report finds
The Philadelphia Inquirer
One preschooler with autism and ADHD was excluded from a Philadelphia early childhood program two hours after her parents dropped her off for her first day because the school did not have adequate supports, according to a new report from the Education Law Center-PA. Another was told he was “no longer a good fit” shortly after starting a program where directors had said they would have no trouble working with the boy, who has autism. He was 2. At another school, a young boy with autism was not fed if certain staff were not present.
ID: Commentary: Supporting special education takes more than words
Bingham News Chronicle
One out of every eight students in Idaho receives special education services. That means somewhere between 1 in 4 families likely has a child with special needs. I am one of them. We have four children, and one of them receives extra support at school because of his special needs. I am deeply grateful for our local schools and the teachers, aides and staff who work hard every day to care for every child. It is not perfect, and that is not their fault. They simply do not have the resources to do everything the law requires and everything they want to do as teachers. The best outcomes happen when families, schools and communities work together. Parents know their children better than anyone else. They know what motivates them, what frustrates them and what routines help them succeed. Time at home can be just as important as time in the classroom. That is why we should support parents. We should give families more tools, more flexibility, more training and more opportunities to help their children succeed. We should encourage partnerships with therapists, nonprofits, churches, mentors and private providers when those resources are available.