As North Carolina celebrates rising graduation rates, the state is also seeing an alarming increase in dropout rates among students with disabilities, landing a federal “needs assistance” rating for the second consecutive year. While state education leaders point to multiple challenges in meeting special education standards, the issue is compounded nationally by significant staff reductions at the U.S. Department of Education, including positions overseeing services for the nation’s 7.5 million children with disabilities.
Reconciling Graduation Gains with Growing Gaps
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law guaranteeing all students a free and appropriate public education and requiring states to provide special education services. Among its mandates are transition plans designed to prepare students with disabilities for life after high school. Federal rules set a goal of 100% compliance by age 16, but North Carolina’s compliance has dropped from 94.7% in 2009 to just 44.6% in 2024. At the same time, the dropout rate for students with disabilities has risen sharply, from 4% in 2019 to 15.7% in 2024.
Behind these numbers are real capacity challenges: last school year, there were over 1,500 special education teaching positions vacant or filled by uncertified staff. High turnover and insufficient support leave many new teachers without the mentorship and resources they need. Although Congress has pledged to fund 40% of the average per-student cost for special education, it provides less than half that amount in practice.
Policy Priorities and Public Responsibility
Inadequate federal support for students with disabilities is exacerbated by a lack of action on the state level. With the General Assembly returning to session next week, attention appears to be focused on redrawing the state’s congressional maps rather than addressing the absence of a state budget or the needs of public schools. Decisions to prioritize politics over policy risk delaying the solutions required to ensure all students, including those with disabilities, receive the sound basic education promised by our state constitution, and a free and appropriate education mandated by Congress.
If North Carolina is to realize Superintendent Green’s vision of being the “best in the nation,” it must include the 203,000 students with disabilities in every policy decision and funding plan. Their success is inseparable from the state’s success. Ensuring their inclusion is not optional, but rather a measure of our collective commitment to public education.
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