President Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2008 would eliminate 44 programs, including Title V Innovative Education grants (currently funded at $99 million), Education Technology State Grants (currently funded at $273 million), Smaller Learning Communities (currently funded at $90.4 million), and the Even Start program (which is funded at $111.6 million).

Title 1 For Title I (aid to support programs for disadvantaged students), the proposed budget would increase funding by $1.2 billion. However, the increase would be directed to the administration’s plans to expand NCLB requirements to the high school grades and would be accompanied by a new set of mandates. The President is also requesting $500 million for Title I School Improvement grants that would be available on a competitive basis to school districts.

The National School Boards Association believes that Title 1 should receive a $2.5 billion increase to help school districts implement NCLB requirements, including annual testing, hiring highly qualified teachers, and increased accountability.

Special Education The proposed budget would level-fund special education. The federal government provides approximately 19 percent of the funds for programs required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. When Congress passed the first special education law in the 1970s, it pledged to provide 40 percent of the cost. It never reached that goal, shortchanging New Jersey and other states as the number of special education students grows.

The U.S. Department of Education projects that 21,000 additional students, ages 3 – 21, will receive services in fiscal year 2008.

Other proposed funding reductions involve Career and Technical Education programs, which would be cut in half, to $617.4 million. The Safe and Drug Free Schools program would lose more than $200 million.

Vouchers The President’s budget, however, does request $300 million for choice programs, some of which could be used for private school vouchers.

Current Problems Meanwhile, Congress is finalizing an extension to its continuing resolution for fiscal year 2007 funding.

The resolution would provide level funding. However, it actually amounts to a cut, according to the National School Boards Association, which points to the financial impact of increased student enrollment, expanded NCLB requirements and cost increases for required services.