California special education funding squeeze: experts push early intervention

Misryoum reports on a California education roundtable where experts warned that shrinking budgets and rising special education needs threaten services—urging investment in preschool and early intervention instead.

California schools are being asked to do more for students with disabilities while having less money to do it, and special education leaders say the pressure is showing up early—starting in preschool.

Misryoum brings you the key message from an EdSource-style roundtable: when revenue is stretched and special education needs grow, schools tend to patch problems later, even though earlier support could reduce long-term costs and improve outcomes.

At the heart of the discussion was a stark funding mismatch.. Enrollment is declining, which leaves districts with less overall revenue.. Meanwhile, the number of students qualifying for special education has increased—particularly among young children in early grades.. Anjanette Pelletier. an expert in special education finance. said that “almost none of the revenue generated is targeted at preschool and early childhood experiences. ” leaving districts to respond after needs have already intensified.

Panelists connected that imbalance to broader policy reality.. Under IDEA, a 1975 law, schools are required to provide services for students with disabilities.. But federal funding has fallen far short of the 40% promise; the roundtable discussed that it provides less than 13%.. When districts face that gap. they often shift money originally meant for general education toward special education obligations—creating a budget squeeze that affects classrooms. staffing. and the timing of support.

Cost pressures are also changing how districts deliver services.. Special education staffing shortages—especially for teachers and specialists—push some districts to contract outside providers. which can cost more than using district staff.. That financial trade-off can be felt by students and families in practical ways: fewer supports where they are most needed. longer waits. and services that are harder to sustain consistently.

For students, the budget squeeze can feel personal, not abstract.. Saran Tugsjargal. a first-year student at Rice University who previously received special education services in California and later served as inaugural Student Commissioner on the California Advisory Commission on Special Education. described the emotional impact of seeing strained staff.. “It’s hard to come to school and see a teacher that is breaking down in tears. ” Tugsjargal said. adding that it created the sense of being a burden.

Misryoum analysis: the most urgent part of the argument is not only that special education is underfunded. but that the system may be paying for prevention too late.. Panelists argued that investing earlier—before children fall behind in foundational skills—can shift both educational trajectories and financial outcomes.. Monique Barrett. a special education teacher in San Diego Unified School District. argued for concentrated investment in pre-K through third grade. including deep interventions for early literacy.. The goal, she said, is to reduce the number of students who later qualify for more intensive services.

Pelletier said districts that have invested in inclusive preschool and early intervention for children with disabilities have seen meaningful gains.. Students who receive support for pre-literacy and pre-math from an early age. she explained. are more likely to participate in general education classrooms by transitional kindergarten or kindergarten.. She also linked early gains to a less combative environment around services—pointing to improved growth that can reduce litigation and settlements. and to shifts in how teachers. staff. and families view inclusion.

There was also a clear call for participation.. Panelists urged parents. students. and teachers to press school leaders for answers about what budget cuts mean for disability services—not just what headlines say about overall funding.. Lindsay Crain. a parent and advocate who works at Undivided. said parents are showing up to protect key programs. yet added that disability-specific needs can be overlooked when fewer parents attend meetings focused on areas like school nursing and school psychologists.

Barrett emphasized that decision-makers must listen to the people “in the trenches.” She said lawmakers and board members who have not taught special education should make room for teachers’ expertise when budgets are discussed and service models are set.. She also encouraged families to engage with Community Advisory Committees. which bring together parents. teachers. students. and adults with disabilities to advise school leaders on decisions affecting students with disabilities.

Looking ahead. Misryoum sees the roundtable framing as a test of priorities: can districts treat preschool and early intervention as essential infrastructure rather than optional programming?. If schools continue funding special education primarily after needs escalate, budgets may keep tightening while the demand for services grows.. But if early support becomes a sustained investment—staffed. inclusive. and targeted—the promise is not just fewer crises later. but better classroom inclusion from the start.

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