On May 28th, the Biden-Harris Administration released the President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2022 to Congress. The President’s budget request aims to address long standing inequities in our nation’s education system, increasing investments by 41% over current spending levels. This budget request also includes funding for programs that are attributed to the American Families Plan introduced in April, which would provide investments in universal early childhood programs, free community college, and addressing teacher shortages. 

The President’s budget request seeks key investments that will increase funding for the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and take a “significant first step on the path to fully funding IDEA.” Specifically, the budget proposes the following:

• IDEA Part B Grants to States: $15.5 billion (a $2.6 billion increase) to support special education for students ages 6-21
• IDEA Part B Section 619: $502.6 million (a $105 million increase) to support preschool grants programs 
• IDEA Part C: $731.9 million (a $250 million increase) to support early intervention services for infants and toddlers
• IDEA Part D (National Activities) to support the following: 
  • State Personnel Development: $38.6 million
  • Technical Assistance and Development: an increase to $49.3 million 
  • Personnel Preparation: an increase to $340 million
  • Parent Training and Information Centers: an increase to $30 million 
  • Media and Technology: $29.5 million

The President’s budget request also prioritizes funding for critical education programs that support all students, including: 

• An increase in Title I funding to $36.5 billion to serve schools with high proportions of low-income students
• An increase in Title II funding to support preparing, training, and recruiting high-quality teachers and school leaders, including $2.1 billion for Title II Part A
• An increase in Title III funding to $917.4 million to support language instruction for English learners
• An increase in Title IV to support 21st century schools, including access to a well-rounded education, including $1.22 billion for Title IV Part A
• An increase in funding for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to $737.5 million, including $58.5 million for the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER)
• An increase in funding to National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to $1.94 billion, who funds scientific research on LD
• An increase in funding for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to $144 million 

We are pleased to see the President’s budget request increase support for children with disabilities, prioritize the physical and mental well-being of students, and propose historic investments in high poverty schools. NCLD looks forward to working with the 117th Congress to enact budget policies into law this year that make a commitment to our nation’s children by expanding free, public education and closing equity gaps that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.