The Lewis Letter
by
U.S. Representative Ron Lewis

"Critiquing the President's Budget"

This is the fourth article is a series dealing with President Bill Clinton's budget. This week, I'd like to take look at education funding. This area has always been a contentious battle between the White House and Congress.

The contention revolves around who should control our public school systems. The President wants to retain control in the hands of federal bureaucrats. He still maintains a Washington-knows-best attitude and believes faceless bureaucrats are more knowledgeable in addressing these concerns. This is one area where I fundamentally disagree with Clinton. I believe the local school principal and the homeroom teacher, both of whom know your child's name, are much more capable of implementing needed reform and making the decisions that best address local problems. So, the argument isn't about whether our schools need improvements, rather how are we going to implement those improvements.

Few people would argue against the need for improvement in our public school system. While there are several schools doing a great job of educating our children and preparing them with the skills necessary to succeed in life, there are many schools suffering from overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating buildings, lack of resources, and a shortage of qualified educators. I'm pleased the President has made this issue a top priority and offered some plans to correct these problems, although I disagree with him on how to accomplish these goals.

I continue to support conservative, common-sense legislation that allows local school districts the freedom and flexibility to address their unique problems. This year, I hope the Dollars to the Classroom Act is passed by Congress. The Dollars to the Classroom Act mandates 95 percent of all federal dollars appropriated for education go directly to local schools. Sadly, it appears the President isn't going to support this bill, meaning he would rather spend money on the Department of Education rather than give it to local school districts.

Another proposal the President and I disagree on is how to construct new schools. Again, the question isn't whether this need to be done, but how best to do it. I'm currently reviewing a proposal offered by Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer calling for a $1.4 billion School Construction Initiative that would also reduce paperwork and give more flexibility to states and local governments in constructing new schools. Chairman Archer's proposal shows that good government doesn't have to be more government; instead, good government finds creative and conservative approaches that effectively help local communities. This is one proposal I will study closely in the coming months.

I also look forward to working with my colleagues to pass H.R. 800, also known as the ED-FLEX Bill. ED-FLEX gives local schools districts more flexibility in using federal funds by allowing the Secretary of Education to delegate to states the authority to waive certain federal regulations that interfere with a school's ability to educate children. In other words, it gives public schools unique opportunities to creatively use federal funds to establish programs that effectively meet some of their most challenging educational demands. This is one proposal the President has shown support for in the past. I'm hopeful he continues to support this bill as it makes its way through Congress.

There are other areas of education Congress will discuss this year that Clinton underfunds in his budget. One is Impact Aid, which benefits Hardin County because of Fort Knox. As in years past, Clinton requests cuts in funding, making Congress search in other areas to find the money for this crucial program. Another area Congress needs to provide adequate funding for is IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Today, the federal government funds less than 12 percent of this program. States and local governments are mandated to educate children with disabilities, but local school districts are left scrambling in covering the associated costs because the federal government isn't living up to its obligation.

The President has made education reform a top priority for the remainder of his term. I'm glad he has shown some leadership in this area, although I disagree with him on some of his methods. I'm sure this will again be a heated battle between Congress and the Administration. I'll continue to send the message to President Clinton that local school administrators and local teachers are better equipped to handle local problems than faceless bureaucrats in Washington. Maybe this year he'll listen.

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