How many choice students have disabilities? Way more than you think. – EdChoice

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires parents to advocate for their children with disabilities if their needs are not met in public schools, but this system places a heavy burden on families, particularly those from low-income or minority backgrounds. Many parents struggle to fight for the services their children need due to time and financial constraints, which has led to a growing number of students with disabilities participating in private school choice programs. Currently, around 184,450 students with disabilities are enrolled in these programs, representing about 15% of all choice students, similar to the percentage of public school students with disabilities. However, some states fail to ensure that additional funding for students with disabilities follows them into choice programs, limiting the resources private schools can provide. While the number of students with disabilities in choice programs is growing, there is still room for improvement in funding structures and data transparency to better support these families.