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House Passes Ed. Appropriations Bill - Policy Differs with President's Request

July 28, 2009—The full House of Representatives voted 264 to 153 to approve the FY 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations bill on Friday, July 24. A very few education funding allocations were changed by the House, but by very little. However, in the Committee Report on the bill (111-220) there were policy changes that do not support President Obama’s Budget Request agenda for FY 2010.

Example differences

• House Policy for Title I School Improvement Grants: Use for Reading
  The U.S. House of Representatives has included policy report language in HR 3293 that requires State educational agencies to "ensure that not less than 50 percent of the $545,633,000 provided for School Improvement Grants, be used for evidence-based reading instruction."
   
  The House bill requires the U.S. Department of Education "to work with the States to ensure that evidence-based reading instruction is embedded in school turnaround strategies for low-performing schools. The Committee believes this approach will prove to be an effective strategy, because it is targeted toward the schools that most need intervention."
   
• House Policy for Title I School Improvement Grants: Use for Schools With Graduation Rates Below 60%
  The House bill HR 3293, does not adopt the President's Budget Request language that would have required each State Department of Education "to use 40 percent of School Improvement Grants for middle and high schools."
   
  Instead, the House HR 3293 report says that "the Committee believes that States and districts should have flexibility in targeting these funds to schools with the greatest need for assistance."
  
  
• ESEA Title I Early Childhood Grants
  The House does not provide the President's request of $500 million for transfer of ESEA Title I, Part A, Grants to Local School Districts for use in an unauthorized Early Childhood Grants program, since already, school districts may use any part of their ESEA Title I Grants for pre-K education programs. However, the House says in report language that it will reconsider the request, if Congress does pass legislation to authorize a new Title I early childhood education programs.
  

For highlights read the Legislative Update from Education Legislative Services.

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