President Bush’s proposed budget blueprint, unveiled last week, includes a nearly 6 percent increase for the Department of Education compared to the previous year’s budget. However, many details are missing regarding the allocation of these funds. While some specifics are provided for certain areas, such as $900 million for reading, there is a lack of information for other programs. For instance, spending levels for Title I and special education are not defined, and there is no indication of the amount that would be allocated to help states meet the proposed annual testing requirement for grades 3-8. These figures will only be available when the White House releases a detailed, program-by-program budget proposal in early April.
Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, expressed support for the proposed funding for reading but expressed concerns about the overall funding sources for other initiatives. President Bush presented the budget outline on February 28, one day after delivering his first address to Congress, emphasizing education as his top priority. The $1.96 trillion blueprint for the fiscal 2002 federal budget includes spending increases for education and defense, as well as cuts for other agencies. Additionally, President Bush aims to utilize an anticipated budget surplus to implement a $1.6 trillion tax cut over the course of 10 years while also reducing the national debt. Republicans generally showed support for the president’s plan, with Senator Bill Frist highlighting the funding for various programs benefiting families, children, youth, healthcare, and education.
However, many Democrats, while acknowledging shared goals with President Bush, criticized his proposed tax cuts and deemed the 6 percent increase for the Education Department insufficient. House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt criticized the allocation of surplus funds, stating that it would hinder the commitment to leave no child behind. The budget outline follows President Bush’s earlier proposal to reform the federal role in K-12 education, an initiative announced shortly after taking office. Congress is currently working on reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. President Bush’s plan places emphasis on improved student performance from states and school districts, offering them more spending flexibility with federal aid. A controversial aspect of the plan involves allowing federal aid to be used for private school tuition if a failing Title I school fails to improve after three years.
There has been confusion surrounding the percentage increase reflected in the president’s $44.5 billion budget blueprint for education. Prior to its release, the White House indicated, and major news organizations reported, that the proposed increase from the current fiscal year’s amount would surpass 11 percent, amounting to $4.6 billion in additional funding.
•$25 million allocated for character education, a significant increase from the previous year’s $9 million.
•$62 million set aside for school construction under the impact-aid program, a substantial increase from the previous year’s $13 million. Impact aid is provided to school districts affected by the presence of federal installations that are not subject to taxation, such as military bases.
•Proposition of $2.6 billion for a new teacher-quality and recruitment program, without specifying the additional funding required.
•Proposal to spend an additional $1 billion on Pell Grants for financially needy college students, an increase from the current $8.8 billion budget.
•Change in direction regarding increasing the maximum grant solely for first-year students. The $1 billion would be used to raise the maximum award for all recipients.
•President Bush’s plan assumes over $400 million in savings by eliminating all "one-time" education projects that have been earmarked for specific recipients by Congress. However, Congress is unlikely to end this practice, commonly known as pork-barrel spending.
•Uncertainty regarding the spending levels for various Education Department programs, such as Title I, bilingual and vocational education, safe schools, education technology, and special education.
•Critics suggest that the specified amounts may leave little room to increase funding for other programs.
•The budget document indicates that more money would be available for special education, but does not provide an exact figure.
•Proposal to reallocate some of the money for emergency school repairs to a broader range of purposes, including special education, school renovation, and technology costs.
•President Bush’s budget blueprint does not specify the amount sought for the $6.2 billion Head Start program, which is currently administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. The proposal calls for planning the shift of Head Start to the Education Department.
•Sticking points remain between President Bush’s budget outline and the demands of centrist Democrats for a bipartisan compromise, particularly regarding spending on education.
•The centrist Democrats, known as the New Democrats, propose increasing federal education aid by $35 billion over five years, or approximately $7 billion per year. They also advocate for a $22.5 billion increase in Title I funding over five years, emphasizing the need for additional resources to support schools in disadvantaged communities.
