California's Annual State Application for 2026
Annual State Application under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is to be submitted by May 20, 2026, for federal fiscal year 2026.The California Department of Education (CDE), Special Education Division, completed its preliminary application for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026 federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as Amended in 2004, Public Law 108-446.
The state application is available for 60 days and public written comment will be accepted for at least 30 days prior to submission to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Written comments will be accepted from March 20 to April 20, 2026.
Send written comments to Nora Parella, Education Administrator, Policy and Initiatives Unit, Special Education Division, by email at PartBapp@cde.ca.gov or by mail to:
California Department of Education
Special Education Division
Attention: Nora Parella
1430 N Street, Suite 2401
Sacramento, CA 95814
The content for the IDEA state application is presented in five sections, as follows:
Section I - The state’s Submission Statement for Part B of IDEA.
Section II - A series of assurances and certifications of federal policies as detailed by the Education Department General Administrative Regulations.
Section III - The description of use of IDEA funds maintained by the state for administration and other State activities. The administration and other State activities are listed on an Excel spreadsheet.
Section IV - The description of the Section 608(a) requirements States must meet in order to receive IDEA funds. This section requires states to provide a list of state statutes, regulations, or policies that are state imposed but, not required by IDEA or Federal regulations.
Section V - The total amount of State financial support made available for special education and related services for children with disabilities in the most recent two State fiscal years.
Below is the link to the five sections of California’s FFY 2026 Annual State Application for IDEA funds.
California’s FFY 2026 Annual State Application (DOCX; Posted 18-Mar-2026)
Excel Interactive Spreadsheet (XLSX; Posted 18-Mar-2026)
The state provides a description of the use of IDEA funds maintained by the state for administration and for other State activities. The administration and other State activities are listed on an Excel spreadsheet.
Currently, the OSEP has not provided California with the FFY 2026 Excel Interactive Spreadsheet. For the preliminary application, the OSEP has directed the CDE to post the prior year FFY 2025 Section III Description of Use of Funds Part B of IDEA and the FFY 2025 Interactive Spreadsheet. The CDE will repost Section III with the FFY 2026 Interactive Spreadsheet and Description of Use of Funds Part B of IDEA when it has been received and completed these documents.
List of state statutes, regulations, or policies (Posted 18-Mar-2026)
The description of the Section 608(a) requirements States must meet in order to receive IDEA funds. Section IV requires states to provide a list of state statutes, regulations, or policies that are state imposed but are not required by IDEA or Federal regulations.
Section V – Maintenance of State Financial Support
The total amount of state financial support made available for special education and related services for children with disabilities in the most recent two State fiscal years. This section is not part of the eligibility requirement for the State. Section V amounts are available upon written request at PartBapp@cde.ca.gov.