SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. – A new bill from Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Eugene Vindman aims to restore federal funding cut earlier this year from a program that supported high school students with disabilities in Spotsylvania County and across the country.
The “Charting My Path for Future Success” program—launched in 2019—was canceled by the U.S. Department of Education in February 2025, halting services like tutoring and mentoring for more than 1,600 students nationwide. Spotsylvania schools say the funding loss put them in a $2 million bind, threatening over a dozen staff positions and programs for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
Kaine and Vindman’s proposed legislation would reissue the contract and funding for the 10-year, $45 million program, which had already spent more than $25 million before being shut down. “Ripping away critical funding and resources for students with disabilities is cruel,” Kaine said in a press release announcing the bill.
Vindman, who represents Virginia’s 7th District, called the cut “reckless” and said Congress should have a say before such a move is made. Disability advocacy groups, including The Arc of the United States and the National Center for Learning Disabilities, back the bill.
The Fredericksburg Free Press previously reported that Spotsylvania Superintendent Clint Mitchell warned school leaders in March that five staff roles had already lost federal support, with more at risk as a result of the canceled program.
