Facing a swelling education budget, the New York City mayor wants to crack down on spending for students with disabilities in the nation’s largest school district.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg told state legislators Monday that the city is spending $100 million to send 4,000 students in special education to private schools. What’s more, he anticipates that special education costs will grow another 13 percent by next school year due to state requirements.

Bloomberg said the state should make it more difficult for students to be placed in private schools at public expense, by requiring students to try public school first. Currently, families can obtain private placements so long as they merely consider public education initially.

Advocates for children with disabilities, however, say it’s unfair of the mayor to target special education. They argue that schools typically spend more to educate those with disabilities — whether in public or private settings — and that fewer students would need private placements if the school district made improvements, reports WNYC. To read more click here.

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