(MSC News)--Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, on Thursday, was joined by Kansas legislative leaders of both parties - Senate President Ty Masterson, Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, and House Minority Leader Vic Miller - in signing a letter that calls on Congress to increase federal funding for special education services.

According to a release from Kelly- office, the federal government, for nearly 50-years, “has failed to meet its funding commitment for special education services to states, costing Kansas $300 million annually.”

The release explains that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, passed by Congress in 1975, “commits the federal government to covering up to 40% of the average per pupil expenditures for special education, with states covering the rest. This commitment has never been met, with federal funding hovering around 15%. The funding gap places an undue financial burden on Kansas, school districts, and taxpayers.”

According to the release, “increased federal funding for special education will allow the state to better serve Kansas students with disabilities, as well as those in gifted programs, which are funded by special education.”