Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2003

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2003

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I just want to take a few minutes to express my deep disappointment that the Senate has once again failed to keep our promises to adequately fund our schools. The Senate's inability to pass the Harkin-Hagel amendment yesterday is an outrage. The amendment would have put us on a 6-year track to finally fulfill the Federal Government's promise to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Act-a promise made to our schoolchildren and our local districts 30 years ago.

The key with the Harkin-Hagel amendment-which I was very proud to cosponsor-was that it made the funding mandatory. It would have finally mandated that within 6 years, the Government fulfill its promise to cover 40 percent of the costs of educating special needs children in this country. Nationally, at current spending levels, the Federal Government only covers about 19 percent of the costs-and in New York, the figures are much lower than that. Some districts in New York spend nearly one-fifth of their overall school budgets providing quality special education programs. Yet for many districts, Federal funding only covers 8 or 9 percent of these costs.

I have talked to school superintendents all over the State about the budget crunches they are in-crunches that are exacerbated by the economy, tight State budgets, and year after year of being shortchanged by the Federal Government.
Last month, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity in New York reported that New York State will need $9.5 billion more for education funding over the next 4 years, but it has not yet been revealed where that money will come from. Schools across the State are struggling to balance their budgets-and are often forced to raise local property taxes to fund the Federal mandates we place on them.

The administration's proposal would increase IDEA funding by only $1 billion this year. At that rate of increase, we won't reach full funding until 2028-50 years after we promised it to our districts. Under the administration's budget, New York State will receive approximately $729 million in fiscal year 2005 funding. If we were at full funding, New York would be getting $1.49 billion next year. Under the Harkin-Hagel amendment, New York could expect $807 million in fiscal year 2005, and steady, solid increases in the subsequent 5 years to get the State to the full amount.

My office did an analysis, using data from the Congressional Research Service, the National Education Association, and the Department of Education, comparing the administration's fiscal year 2005 funding proposal to what various regions of the State would be receiving in 2005 under full funding. The shortfalls were shocking:

New York City will be shortchanged $303 million under the administration's budget. Under full funding, they could expect $565 million, but they are only going to get $262 million.

Schools in Western New York, which includes Buffalo, will be shortchanged $58 million. They should be getting $108 million, but will only see $50 million.

In Central New York, the region which includes Syracuse and the surrounding counties, schools will be shortchanged $43 million. They will get $37 million instead of $80 million.

In the Lower Hudson Valley, just north of the city, schools will get $45 million instead of $96 million.

Schools in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region will get $43 million instead of $93 million.

Schools in the Southern Tier of the State will be shortchanged $13 million. They will see $11 million instead of the $24 million they were promised by Congress in 1975.

The Senate had a real opportunity yesterday to make a difference in the lives of the families we are here to protect and represent. But I am ashamed that only 56 of us stepped up to the plate. For all the rhetoric we have heard over the last several years about the importance of making a true commitment to our kids, it is nothing more than schoolyard banter if we don't fund our promises.

We can make no better investment than providing a high-quality education for all of our kids-ensuring they have access to the best teachers, cutting-edge curricula and books, and access to the special services they need to learn, advance and become productive members of society.

Yesterday we had a chance to make it right. Our schools simply asked for the funding they were promised to provide kids with the services they need, and 41 Members of this body said no. We will be back. We will keep coming back, and we will keep fighting the fight until our kids and our schools get what they were promised and what they deserve.