Education Budget

On May 7 the Office of Management and Budget released the President’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2010.

At Ed Money Watch, we discuss and analyze major issues affecting education funding. In our Friday News Roundup, we try to highlight interesting stories that might otherwise get overlooked. These stories emphasize how federal and state policy changes can affect local schools and districts.

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On May 7 the Office of Management and Budget released the President’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2010. As Early Ed Watch reported at the time, that budget includes funding for several new early education programs, including Title I Early Childhood Grants, Early Learning Challenge Fund, Early Literacy Grants, and Home Visitation. Yesterday, we looked at proposals for Title I Early Childhood Grants. Today we consider the Early Learning Challenge Fund.

During his 2008 campaign for the presidency, then Senator Barack Obama put forward a “Zero-to-Five” early childhood agenda. The centerpiece of this agenda was a proposal to create a new program of Early Learning Challenge Grants designed to both help and push states to improve quality and coordination amongst the various early childhood care and education programs that serve young children below the age of compulsory school attendance. The President’s fiscal year 2010 budget requests $300 million in funding for an Early Learning Challenge Fund to make such grants to states.

The Department of Education recently approved the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) applications of five more states - Idaho, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington. These states join the 16 that have already begun to receive funds. As of May 22nd, nearly $773 million in SFSF monies have been disbursed to states.

At Ed Money Watch, we discuss and analyze major issues affecting education funding. In our Friday News Roundup, we try to highlight interesting stories that might otherwise get overlooked. These stories emphasize how federal and state policy changes can affect local schools and districts.

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Yesterday U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified before the House Education and Labor Committee on President Obama's fiscal year 2010 Education budget request. While little new information arose during the secretary's prepared testimony, a few interesting tidbits came up during the committee members' questions.

Throughout his testimony, Secretary Duncan reiterated the role that he thinks the Department of Education (ED) should play in improving public education. Specifically, he said that ED should be there to encourage states to "do the right thing" by students, not force them into compliance with certain requirements. Similarly, he stressed the importance of innovation at the state and local levels, rather than at the federal level. He believes that the best ideas come from schools and practitioners, not the federal government. Instead, the federal government should help incent states to allow for innovation and new ideas at the local level.

The Department of Education recently approved the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund applications of three more states - Indiana, Rhode Island, and Tennessee. These states join the 13 that have already begun to receive funds. As of May 15^th, nearly $565 million in SFSF monies have been disbursed to states.

On May 7 the Office of Management and Budget released the President’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2010.

News reports suggest that some schools and school districts have started receiving at least the beginning of the $44 billion in stimulus funding made available on April 1^st. This money flows through three programs in particular - No Child Left Behind Title I Part A, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B, and the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF). While all 50 states and the District of Columbia have received at least 50 percent of their Title I and IDEA allocations, only the 13 states whose SFSF applications have been approved have received any of that available money. Below we discuss how some school districts have decided to use the funds.

At Ed Money Watch, we discuss and analyze major issues affecting education funding. In our Friday News Roundup, we try to highlight interesting stories that might otherwise get overlooked. These stories emphasize how federal and state policy changes can affect local schools and districts.

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