The Trump administration's fiscal year 2027 budget proposal to Congress touts a "historic investment" into federally funded special education programs, including increased flexibility for states to make funding decisions and a renewed effort to reduce paperwork burdens for special educators and administrators.
Despite the proposed $539 million dollar increase over FY 2026, special education administrative organizations and disability rights advocacy groups say the federal spending plan zero funds and consolidates several programs for FY 2027, similar to the administration's FY 26 proposal. Those changes would make states less accountable for provisions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and would erode the services and supports that students, families and special educators rely on, they say.
"While the budget includes a relatively small increase for IDEA, we can’t let that distract us from the big picture," said Chad Rummel, executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children, in an April 10 email to K-12 Dive. "Proposed cuts to special education [programs], K-12 education, educator preparation, and education research, will cause significant harm for students and educators."
What's being proposed for increases
On paper, the FY 27 proposal seems like a boost to the national special education program.
The spending proposal, released on April 3, calls for a total of $16 billion to support infants, toddlers, students and young adults with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. That's a 3.5% increase from the FY 2026 allocation of $15.5 billion.
As in previous years, most of that proposed IDEA funding — $15.4 billion for FY 27 — would be reserved for the IDEA Part B grants to states allocation to support students ages 3-21. That amount represents a 1.4% increase from FY 26 and equals out to an average of $1,846 for each of the 8.3 million students with disabilities eligible for IDEA services.
Funding for IDEA's Part C program for infants and toddlers ages birth to 3 with disabilities and developmental delays is proposed at $590 million, a 9.3% increase from FY 26. The bump in funding is targeted toward supporting families who are expecting to have a child with a disability, according to the FY 2027 budget justification.
If approved by Congress, this would be the first increase for Part C since FY 2022.
The budget plan also calls for a renewed effort to increase state participation in an already established pilot program to reduce paperwork burdens for special educators.
"Numerous studies have found paperwork burdens are increasing special educator stress and burnout, contributing to teacher attrition that has created special educator shortages across the country," the budget justification said.
Lastly, the budget proposal level funds Special Olympics at $38 million. The Special Olympics program provides sports training and competition for people with disabilities, including school-based activities. President Donald Trump, in his first term, recommended zero funding the program, but later changed course after intense backlash.
Trump’s FY 27 proposal gives special education a 3.5% bump
What's being proposed for decreases
Despite level or boosted funding for some programs, what's concerning special education advocates is the Trump administration's repeated recommendation from FY 26 to zero fund and consolidate two other IDEA programs in FY 27 — the National Activities programs, also known as IDEA Part D, and the Preschool Grants program for students with disabilities ages 3-5. Under the plan, those formula and competitive grant programs would be absorbed into Part B program.
The Preschool Grants formula program, funded at $420 million in FY 2026, is technically already included in Part B as Section 619, but traditionally has been a separate line item to support students' transitions from Part C to the Part B programs as they reach the preschool years.
Part D includes funding for teacher preparation and training, technical assistance, parent information centers, and accessible technology and materials. Together, the Part D programs are funded at about $258 million for FY 26.
The Trump administration, in its budget justification, said the folding of the Preschool Grants program and Part D grant programs into Part B would expand flexibility to states to make funding decisions based on their state and districts' needs while also adhering to IDEA accountability rules.
"States would continue to meet key IDEA accountability and reporting requirements aimed at ensuring a free appropriate public education is available to all students with disabilities and protecting the rights of those students and their families," the budget justification said.
Funding of a dedicated special education research program under the agency's Institute of Education Sciences would drop from $64 million in FY 26 to a proposed $10 million in FY 27.
Overall, the Trump administration recommends $8.5 billion in cuts and consolidations across the Education Department for selected K-12 programs. Those are part of a 3% reduction in discretionary spending compared to FY 26 funding levels at the agency.
Under the plan, the entire Education Department staff would shrink to a proposed 1,909 full-time employees, down from 3,544 in FY 2025. Proposed staffing at the agency's Office for Civil Rights, which investigates disability and other discrimination complaints in K-12 schools and colleges, would shrink from 530 in FY 25 to 271 in FY 27.
For the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which includes the Office of Special Education Programs that monitors state's and district's compliance with IDEA, the number of full-time staff would be reduced from 163 in FY 25 to just 31 for FY 27.
What advocates are saying
Trump's FY 27 special education budget repeats attempts from his FY 26 proposal to zero fund and consolidate the Preschool Grants and Part D programs — a move ultimately rejected by Congress. Special education advocates are hoping Congress will do the same for the next fiscal year.
"It is time for the Administration to refocus on improving opportunities and outcomes for individuals with disabilities instead of eliminating funding that promotes education, employment and community living,” said Stephanie Smith Lee, policy and advocacy co-director of the National Down Syndrome Congress, in an April 8 statement. Lee is also a former OSEP director under President George W. Bush's administration.
Lindsay Kubatzky, director of policy and advocacy for the National Center for Learning Disabilities, said in an April 10 email that the proposed cuts to special education programs and across the Education Department "would put even more pressure on public schools serving students with disabilities."
In an April 10 statement, the Council of Administrators of Special Education said, "Schools across the country are serving more students with disabilities, with needs becoming increasingly complex. At the same time, this proposal reduces overall investment in education while creating the potential for unnecessary disruption for schools. This is not the time to reduce or restructure support in ways that create instability."
But proponents of reduced federal government involvement in schools voiced support for the overall president's proposal.
“Families across the country are sitting at their kitchen tables making tough decisions about how to stretch every dollar — we owe it to them to do the same in government," said Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, in an April 3 statement. "This budget proposal is a blueprint for cutting wasteful spending, improving government efficiency, and ensuring that every dollar spent delivers real value to taxpayers."
The president's budget proposal is the first step in the federal annual allocation process and will be followed by congressional hearings, after which Congress will vote on the final budget. FY 27 starts Oct. 1.
