NSBA Editorial/Board's Eve View: To Congress: Restore the education priority

Before Congress closed its first session at the end of 2005, it cut funding for many education programs, including its two big mandates: the No Child Left Behind Act (funded primarily by Title I) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

We could see more of the same in the second session of the 109th Congress. But if local education advocates speak out, they can make a difference as an out-of-touch Congress worries over its 22 percent approval rating in an election year.

The first indication of a better outcome came during the Senate’s broad budget deliberations to set the framework for the appropriations process. Initially, the Senate Budget Committee supported the President’s request to basically level-fund the big mandates for next year, while cutting deeper into other K-12 programs.

However, thanks to a floor amendment offered by Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), which received an overwhelming 73-27 vote, the way was paved to restore funding for education and other domestic programs to their fiscal year 2005 levels.

The amendment also left some room for modest additions to Title I and IDEA, although not at the level needed to meet rising costs—and certainly not at the level that Congress promised for this year when it created NCLB in 2002 and reauthorized IDEA in 2004.

In essence, the Specter/Harkin amendment provided a first step among several steps that will need to be taken between now and November to support education. The good news is that this compelling vote to support domestic priorities showed how an outpouring of credible local voices, including the extensive participation of school board members, can get this Congress’ attention.

The message is clear. The education of America’s children is the key to individual opportunity and our nation’s overall success. When Congress shortchanges NCLB and IDEA, it cheats both the children who benefit directly from federal programs, as well as other students whose educational services must be cut to help offset the difference.

With these two programs comprising less than 1 cent on the federal dollar, the cost of honoring this commitment to fund them would be minimal in terms of the entire federal budget and could even be accomplished without spending one extra taxpayer dollar. 

For example, we believe that voters would be happy to see Congress reallocate to education programs at least some of the money it spent last year for “bridges to nowhere” and from the other $29 billion spent on pork-barrel projects.

We can build on the success of the grassroots campaign in the Senate. The volatility of this year’s congressional election offers an opportunity for members of Congress to regain their perspective about the importance of education in the lives of their constituents and their families.

In getting Congress to refocus its priorities on education, school boards are the ideal representatives of the community to shine a light on the problem.

To that end, NSBA is organizing a major grassroots campaign to help school boards inform federal lawmakers and their constituents of the importance of restoring their funding commitment to Title I and IDEA.