Budget for the Department of Education Released, Proposes Elimination of Key IDEA Programs
Late last Friday, the White House released a fleshed-out Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget proposal for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The proposal includes a $12.35 billion reduction in spending, including significant eliminations and consolidations of authorized programs under both the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
For IDEA, the budget proposes the elimination of the Part B Preschool Program and all Part D National Activities programs currently overseen by the Office of Special Education. Those programs include personnel preparation and development, technical assistance centers, parent information and resource centers, and more. The funding saved by eliminating these funds would be transferred to the IDEA grants to states program, with added flexibility on how to spend the funds. However, currently the grants to states dollars are restricted to specific allowable uses. Significant cuts are also made to research and development, and the Office for Civil Rights budget is cut by a third.