This paper is the first in a three-part series on the fiscal provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It provides a brief overview, history, and related background information on the major federal special education funding programs, including basic state grants under Part B of the IDEA (which require participating…

This brief provides an overview of three recent state court cases in Alabama, Wyoming, and Ohio that uniquely address the constitutionality of state special education finance systems. In each case, the courts found the special education finance systems to be unconstitutional due to inequitable or inadequate funding for children with disabilities.…