1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

This budget's proposed changes to K-12 education funding pose a significant threat to students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Consolidating programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) into a single grant eliminates vital protections and services that these vulnerable students rely on. Streamlining IDEA funding disregards the complex needs of students with disabilities, jeopardizing their right to a free and appropriate public education. Cutting multilingual education programs deeply harms students' language acquisition and academic success. We cannot sacrifice the educational opportunities and futures of children with special needs or linguistic diversity. This budget must maintain robust, dedicated funding streams and safeguards to ensure schools have the resources to provide legally mandated services, accommodations, and multilingual support. Stripping away IDEA's provisions and multilingual education is unacceptable and will disproportionately harm our most vulnerable students. I urge you to reject these damaging cuts and preserve comprehensive frameworks that have been instrumental in protecting the rights of millions of students with disabilities and promoting linguistic inclusion.