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Appropriations Begin; Authorization
Stalls
By Jeffrey Simering, Director, Legislative
Services
 Hoping to avoid another end-of-session stalemate
over education funding, the U.S. Congress is off to an unusually
early start in the annual appropriations process. The appropriations
subcommittees on both the House and Senate sides have already marked
up their respective education funding bills.
Unfortunately, speed has not marked consideration of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization, which
has been split into three bills on the House side and has become
bogged down with amendments on the Senate floor.
The funding outlook for fiscal year 2001 differs dramatically
depending on whether one is looking at the House or Senate spending
bills. The House subcommittee increases IDEA funds by $500 million,
but generally freezes other elementary and secondary school funding
at last year's levels. The Title I program is frozen in the House
bill, but Even Start is slated for a $100 million increase. The
Reading Excellence program; Safe and Drug Free Schools; the Title VI
Innovative Education Strategies program; Bilingual Education; and
Emergency Immigrant Education dollars are frozen.
The Class Size Reduction initiative, Goals 2000, and the Title II
Professional Development program are consolidated into a single
Teacher Empowerment block grant and reduced by $335 million. The
Title III Technology program is increased by $139 million and the
21st Century After School program is increased by $146 million.
The Senate appropriations bill, on the other hand, matches the
Administration's overall request for education funding. IDEA is
increased by $1.3 billion—a 25 percent boost. Title I LEA Grants
receive a $394 million increase, but the $170 million Comprehensive
School Reform Demonstrations are eliminated.
Title II Professional Development is increased by $100 million,
Charter Schools are increased by 40 percent, and Bilingual Education
instructional grants are increased by 10 percent.
The 21st Century After-School program is slated for a $146
million increase, while Title III Technology Education and Title IV
Safe and Drug Free Schools are frozen at last year's levels. A large
increase is proposed in the Title VI Innovative Strategies program,
combining last year's funding of $1.7 billion for Class Size
Reduction and Title VI with an additional $1.4 billion. This
additional funding may be used for school repair and renovation.
Some $450 million formally allotted to Goals 2000, however, appears
to have been cut from the consolidated funds.
Senate floor action on S. 2, the ESEA reauthorization bill, has
now consumed two weeks of debate with no end in sight. The main
points of contention in this largely partisan debate involve two
versions of a proposed state block grant, called Straight A's, and
the elimination of the Class Size Reduction program. An alternative
reauthorization bill, called Three R's and sponsored by Sen. Joseph
Lieberman (D-Conn.), was defeated on an overwhelmingly bipartisan
vote.
As the divisive ESEA debate stretches into late May, the
prospects for enacting a reauthorization this year continue to fade.
The appropriations committees would then be saddled with the
responsibility for funding, extending, and restructuring the expired
education programs. This prospect will further complicate the task
of producing a bill that President Clinton is willing to sign in
this politically charged
environment. | 
