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AEP Online |
Education Funding a High Priority with 110th CongressA total of $2.3 billion was added to the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education budget. During the past year, Senators Harkin and Specter had been working to increase the FY 07 budget by $7 billion and bring funding back up to the 2005 level. Both of those goals were achieved by the resolution. Educators, administrators and education advocates had been decrying the anemic fiscal commitment to both the NCLB goals and other education priorities by the current administration. By passing this resolution, the new Congressional leadership begins to address funding issues that they believe will improve student achievement and American Competitiveness. The Department of Education will receive an increase of $1.17 billion. Some of the increases are * Pell Grants: Maximum grant will increase from $260 to $4,310 a year. This is the first increase in four years and costs $615.4 million * IDEA: $200 million towards grants to states for Special Education. A contribution toward meeting the goal that federal funds pay for 40% of the Special Education budget * Title I K-12 Grants: An additional $125 million to provide approximately 38,000 low-income children performing below grade level with intensive reading and math instruction * Title I School Improvement Fund: $125 million for schools who are currently under the school improvement plan, to help them improve student achievement and reach their AYP they can invest in teacher training, tutoring programs and curriculum upgrades * Head Start: New funding of $103.7 million specifically to maintain enrollment. Since 2001 the agency has sustained cuts amounting to 11% forcing centers to close and drastically reducing transportation and hours * EETT (Enhancing Education Through Technology) A budget of $275 million means that the funding is leveled at what they received last year. The Bush administration had slated the program for elimination for the past several years. Other Programs related to education that received additional funds are – * National Science Foundation – an increase of $335 million in the NSF research account to fund Innovation Programs. Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 856-241-7772. |
Find out more on AEP's Government Relations pages |
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2008 The Association of Educational
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