The $13.5 billion in funding for special education that was part of the House economic stimulus bill has survived the companion bill in the Senate, which passed earlier today.
Now the two bills have to be reconciled in what is sure to be a contentious process. Though the bills are close in dollar amount--$838 billion in the Senate, compared with $819 billion in the House--they take different approaches to trying to support a foundering economy.
One issue among many to resolve will be the differing House and Senate provisions on “maintenance of effort” and “supplement-not-supplant” in special education funding, which I’ve written about before.
Be sure to visit the Politics K-12 blog for up-to-date information on the education provisions as a whole, and I will keep you posted on the specific issues related to special education as they develop.