When money is scarce, options are limited.

So give state superintendent Debbie Critchfield points for focus. She is heading into the 2026 legislative session with a one-line wish list: money for special education.

She wants a $50 million special education grant program — to fill some of the gap between local student needs and existing state and federal funding.

It will strain a state budget facing its biggest stress test since the COVID-19 pandemic. It puts pressure on Gov. Brad Little — who has spared K -12 from budget cuts, so far, but wants a no-frills “maintenance” budget for 2026-27. It will also test how serious lawmakers are about a hallmark tenet of public education: helping schools serve all students who show up at the door, regardless of disability or vulnerability.

This im

See Full Page