May 17, 2008
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NSBA's Legislative Issues: 110th Congress


  • Improve the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Congress needs to reauthorize NCLB this year to correct existing flaws. NSBA’s comprehensive plan to improve the law was incorporated in Rep. Don Young’s H.R. 648, which has bi-partisan co-sponsorship.
  • Increase Federal Funding for Education. Congress has dramatically underfunded critical programs like Title I and federally-mandated programs like IDEA. NSBA urges Congress to increase Title I and IDEA funding by $2.5 billion each this year.
  • Strengthen Teacher Quality. Improving schools for all students requires outstanding teachers in all classrooms. Congress can assist schools and districts in the recruitment, support and retention of quality teachers through incentives, NCLB reauthorization, and Higher Education reauthorization.
  • Expand and Improve Early Education. Congress should create a new federal grant program to develop, expand and sustain voluntary, universal preschool programs.
  • Protect and Strengthen the E-rate Program. E-rate has been a tremendous success for schools and Congress should continue the program, oppose any attempts to undermine or de-fund it, and should strengthen it for a sustainable, long term future.
  • Protect Medicaid Reimbursement for Schools. Congress should stop the administration’s continued efforts to prevent school districts from claiming reimbursement for administrative and transportation expenses in connection with services they provide to Medicaid-eligible children with disabilities.
  • Oppose Private School Vouchers. Congress should oppose any effort to subsidize private school tuition with taxpayer dollars via vouchers and tuition tax credits.
  • Make Support for Public Education a Priority in Global Competitiveness Bills. Strengthening America’s global competitiveness should include assistance to school districts to strengthen math, science and technology programs, and should not come at the expense of increasing federal funding for existing K-12 education programs.
  • Support Better Student Nutrition / Oppose New Government Mandates. Congress should support locally-developed strategies to improve student nutrition, but should oppose expanding federal mandates or regulations that dictate nutrition standards to local school districts.