The Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship bill is a political football like no other.

The bill, passed in the 2003 Legislature, would have provided parents of children with disabilities up to $5,400 to seek a private education of their choice. Gov. Olene Walker vetoed the bill, and the Legislature declined to override the veto. Meanwhile, a task force assembled by Walker has recommended that the state give money to parents whose children attend or will attend the Carmen P. Pingree School for Children with Autism because $1.4 million appropriated for the scholarship program would be insufficient to support students statewide.

Opponents argue that the scholarship program is a slippery slope for the controversial school voucher initiatives. They question if it is appropriate for the state school board to oversee private schools. Others say the bill creates inequities between urban and rural Utah.

These are all important issues that need to be debated and resolved. But as that conversation simmers, children with special needs are in limbo because of political gamesmanship and indecision.

Parents who wish to enroll their children in private special education face a steep financial obligation to do so. Tuition at the Pingree School, for instance, is $21,000 a year. The Carson Smith Scholarship would cover slightly more than a fourth of the cost.

Financially speaking, the state and local school districts would come out winners with the scholarship program because some students' educational needs are immense and highly expensive. While federal law requires that all children receive a free and appropriate public education, school districts often have to tap general education funds to address extraordinary needs of some students to the detriment of the regular school program.

Part of the problem lies in the insufficient funding of special education nationwide. It is an unfunded federal mandate. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act envisioned paying 40 percent of the cost of educating students with disabilities. Each year, Congress delivers less than half of the promised funding.

This is a critical problem considering the growing population of special-education students. Advances in medical science enable children who were born extremely premature, injured in accidents or critically ill to survive their respective medical crisis. A wide range of disabilities may result. Add to that an expanding definition of students who qualify for special-education services and IDEA's considerable reporting requirements.

In other words, the federal government's unfunded mandates place states and local school districts in an untenable position. The federal government has high expectations for special-education services, but it has failed to provide sufficient resources. Local school districts receive some assistance from the states but have to shoulder most of the cost. Despite the financial limitations, most public schools provide special-education services that meet federal requirements. Some schools and programs are exemplary.