How Is Special Education Funded?: Issues and Implications for School Administrators

Special education enrollments, and consequently overall costs, continue to rise with no apparent relief in sight. To clarify the fiscal challenges con fronting local special education administrators today, this article provides background on how special education is funded in the United States and dis cusses trends in special education enrollments and spending and their impli cations for school leaders. It also offers strategies that local leaders might consider to better meet the needs of students with disabilities in the current environment of fiscal restraint and increased accountability.