By Grace Clark, Northend Agent’s
With the Trump Administration’s recent move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, its proposal to also reduce Title-I funds for schools with a high percentage of low-income students to block grants could also drastically impact the education of many students with autism and other special needs in Connecticut. The closure overall would withhold billions of dollars for elementary school students in grades kindergarten through 12.
The proposal would significantly change the role of the federal government in education. President Donald Trump in March implemented an Executive Order that will return control of education funding over to the state government. A released statement from the Trump Administration said, “Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them- we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and those who rely on essential programs.“ While this statement also said there will be no change in the amount of money that supports special education in the states, advocates have argued that the loss of Title-I funds would impact about three million children across the United States. Funds would be cut for essential programs for students with disabilities, classroom resources, teacher training and other support services. Currently, Connecticut receives about $7 billion dollars in Part B and Title-I funds. School districts that receive Title-I funds are more susceptible to cuts because of their demographics of poverty and low-income students who often receive less priority for financial resources. These communities include Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Haven. Currently, there are specific formulas under federal law that determine the amount of money, including Title-I funds, districts receive. The Trump Administration in April proposed turning Title-I to a block grant, which is a fixed, single sum of money in a smaller amount to states for local government officials to decide how to distribute it.
“The money for special education, which has always been inadequate, has been unchanged. There has been no stoppage in money for the states,” said Andy Feinstein, Legislative Advocate for Special Education Equity for Kids of Connecticut (SEEK). “But, kids in Title-I schools can have higher needs than kids in other schools, which includes special education. With block grants, the law is very clear and it will be about which district gets funding support based on poverty. This will now lead to a cat fight on who gets what money.” Feinstein added that this change to block grants will have bigger implications across the country.
“The basic reason to me that the Trump Administration wants to block grant Title-I money is to re-segregate the schools in the south. If you give it to Alabama to decide what to do with the money, more is going to go to white districts than black districts. I consider Title-I money closely connected to special education,” said Feinstein.
“These are really uncertain times for all students, especially our kids who are often even more impacted than students without disabilities,” said Julie Swanson, a special education advocate, based in Connecticut. “Title-I allows schools to hire teachers, paraprofessionals, provide certain interventions in reading and math. Those funds go to school districts that are already marginalized in some way. They are probably already reduced in some services. This impacts all students, but of course it’s going to impact our students who have disabilities.”
Since July 1, the Trump Administration has approved the withholding of some general funds that could support districts while lawmakers wait to take up the Title-I issue in the next legislative session. “A good bulk of that money has not been released. Connecticut schools are really suffering. That money is for school programs, teacher training, things like that,” said Feinstein.
Looming is still the issue of potential changes to grant programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which helps school districts support students with disabilities like autism and other learning challenges by providing federal funding for special education services. In March, the Trump Administration announced plans to move special needs programs to operating under a medical model rather than a school-based one, which would drastically reduce opportunities for these students to learn among peers in classroom settings.
Though there are no current proposals to change IDEA, there have been aggressive campaigns by the Trump Administration against diversity, equity and inclusion in schools. “That hampers many schools from operating their special education programs in the robust way they were doing it before,” said Feinstein. The government’s fiscal year starts October 1. Congress will either pass the proposal to change Title-I funds to block grants or further debate on the change starting in September.
Photo by Aaron Kittredge: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-house-129112/
