Contacts:
Billie Rollins
Pam Swegman
Council of Chief State School
Officers Releases Statement on House Subcommittee Reported FY2000
Education Funding Bill
Washington, D.C., September 27, 1999On September 23, a U.S.
House of Representatives subcommittee reported out the FY2000 Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. "The bill
fails to adequately address the growing needs of the nationšs students
and schools," said Gordon Ambach, Executive Director of the Council of
Chief State School Officers. "It fails by reducing overall education
funding, and by using budget gimmicks to fund $15 billion in programs by
borrowing against future years."
"The Subcommittee bill pits equally important priorities against one
another. For example, the much-needed increase in funding for disabled
students is more than offset by elimination of funding for programs such
as Goals 2000, which is key to bringing high standards to all
classrooms, and support for educational technology, safe and drug-free
schools, and other important priorities."
"A substantial 15% increase in the federal education investment is
vital to expand state and local capacity to increase student
achievement. Congress must respond to the nationšs educational needs
with additional funding to address student enrollment increases, prepare
hundreds of thousands of new teachers, and expand learning technologies
to all classrooms."
"While this Congress considers the reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), it must appropriate funds to meet
current and future commitments to Americašs students which are made
through this legislation. For example, only one third of eligible
students are now served by Title I for disadvantaged students; and the
federal government pays only 11% of special education costs, while the
original promise was 40%."
"The bottom line is that Congress and the Clinton Administration must
respond to these needs by making education a budget priority and
boosting federal education investment by 15% or $5 billion in FY2000,"
concluded Mr. Ambach.
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