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Good news coming from Washington, according to Erika Hoffman, lobbyist for the California School Boards Association. And it comes just after California Gov. Jerry Brown proposed boosting spending on public education from the state.
In a release from her group yesterday, Hoffman says Federal education funding would approach pre-sequestration levels in a two-year federal appropriations bill that’s expected to clear both houses of Congress this week.
“This means no additional cuts for federal program funds in the current fiscal year—and in many cases, program grantees will see some extra dollars in their next funding allocation,” she said. “Education spending wouldn’t quite catch up to pre-sequester levels with Monday night’s omnibus spending bill—but it would come close.”
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would be funded at $14.4 billion through fiscal year 2014, which ends Sept. 30. That’s an increase of $624 million over sequestration, but still $103 million less than pre-sequester levels in FY 2013.
Impact Aid, which is money to local educational agencies financially burdened by federal requirements, is “among the big winners in this bill,” according to Hoffman. It would rise nearly $65 million, putting total funding levels at $1.3 billion—topping even pre-sequestration FY 2013 levels.
“Head Start is another big winner, with a funding increase of $612 million,” she reported. “That amount brings total program funding to $8.6 million—enough to restore all sequestration cuts, give grantees a 1.3 percent cost of living adjustment, and add $500 million to the Early Head Start program.”
Other highlights include:
• State grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act would increase nearly $500 million over final FY 2013 funding, for a total appropriation of $11.5 billion—still about $82 million less than pre-sequester FY 2013 levels.
• School Improvement Grants funding would be renewed at $505 million—and with a new school turnaround model added to the four the U.S. Department of Education had previously authorized states to choose from. Under the new “whole school reform,” model schools could partner with outside organizations that have a proven track record in turning around low-performing schools.
• Career and Technical Education State Grants would rise $53 million, for an FY 2014 total of $1.12 billion. Programs authorized under the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act would be funded at $1.7 billion, up about $54 million from FY 2013 levels.
• Migrant education would see a $2 million boost, and education for homeless children and youth will see an increase of about $3.3 million.
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