Federal Funding Update

The Senate is slated to vote this week on its proposed spending bill for federal education funding, S.1710. The measure has been pending since June amid President Bush’s intent to veto any spending bill that exceeds his fiscal 2008 budget request to Congress.

The National School Boards Association has urged Congress’ swift passage of S.1710 and a House-Senate Conference Report that encompasses the higher funding levels contained in an appropriations bill passed earlier by the House of Representatives. That bill, HR 3043, would provide a $2.6 billion increase for Title I, School Improvement grants, IDEA, English Language Acquisition, and other K-12 programs. Similarly, NSBA urges Congress to override any veto of H.R. 3043 or any related measure that includes the funding increases critical to education.

Under the president’s requested budget, New Jersey would receive $12.6 million less for Title I funding and $24.6 million less in special education grants as compared to the House appropriations bill, according to House Budget Committee analysis.