Indianapolis: 20% of students have special needs; $24M SPED deficit

Oct 29, 2026, WTHR, Indianapolis: IPS plans to ask state lawmakers for more special education funding in next legislative session | wthr.com

Video:

. . . Education funding is, once again, a big issue.

IPS says the money it gets from the state and federal government to educate its students in special education doesn’t cover the actual cost of what it takes to get the job done. . . .

These are some of the faces of the one in five IPS students who receive special education services. . . .

Every year the district gets just over $9 million from the federal government and just over $26 million from the state to support students in special education. 

. . . Even with the state and federal funding, it’s not enough to cover the cost, nearly $60 million. . . .That leaves us with a gap of about $24 million. . .

IPS says it has to use money from its general education budget to help cover that gap. . . .