October 28, 2026 — 7:50pm

Principals and parents are reeling from a state government decision to cut $3400 a year in disability support per eligible student in mainstream schools.

In a letter to state school leaders late on Tuesday, just six weeks before the end of the school year, the state government announced plans for a major shake-up to taxpayer-funded disability support provided in classrooms.

Mainstream schools will receive less funding to cater for children with disabilities. Getty Images

The letter spells out changes to tighten criteria for disability support, a 2.5 per cent drop in “student-level funding rates”, and a reduction of $850 a term, per student “in mainstream schools only” from next year.

The cuts are designed to curtail the ballooning cost of providing disability support in the state’s schools, which has risen by 16 per cent a year since 2021.

“This is unsustainable, and it risks affecting support for children who need it most,” a government spokesperson said.

The changes will…