Comments and Letters to Federal Policymakers

A flag in front of a government building

NSBA regularly offers input to federal agencies, elected officials, and staff, on issues of importance to public schools. Through our member state school board associations, NSBA offers federal decision-makers practical implications of proposed or current policies on school district operations. Key NSBA comments and letters are posted below.

2024

NSBA and 12 State Associations Advocate for Secure Rural Schools Act Reauthorization

On Dec. 13, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and 12 of its state association members sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), urging a vote on the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization Act before the 2024 legislative session ends.

“This bipartisan legislation is crucial to extending the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program through 2026, ensuring forested counties can maintain essential services, including public education,” the letter states.

Since 2000, the SRS program has provided financial stability for counties historically reliant on timber revenues. Federal policies in the 1980s reduced these revenues, leaving rural counties struggling to fund education and infrastructure. The SRS program fills this gap, delivering essential financial support. Most recently reauthorized in 2021, the program distributed over $252 million in FY 2023 to more than 700 counties, directly supporting schools, emergency services, law enforcement, and transportation infrastructure.

NSBA Joins 50+ Organizations in Opposing Federal Voucher Legislation

On Dec. 12, the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE), representing NSBA and more than 50 other organizations, sent a letter to Congress expressing concerns about the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). If enacted, ECCA would create a national voucher program diverting $21.5 billion in tax dollars to private schools and families who homeschool. It is believed that ECCA could be included in a 2025 budget reconciliation bill, which requires only 51 votes to pass in the U.S. Senate.

“This legislation is fiscally irresponsible, enables discrimination against students, undermines local control of education, and would severely damage public schools that educate 90% of American children,” the letter reads. “Tuition tax credit voucher schemes may have a different name and structure, but they are simply another private school voucher: they divert taxpayer funds away from public education and into private schools.”

NSBA Joins Organizations Requesting Federal Support for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness

On Oct. 24, NSBA joined more than a dozen national organizations on a letter asking for dedicated funding for the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in any disaster supplemental request of Congress. "Recent natural disasters will further the ongoing crisis of student homelessness, which rose by 14% last year," the letter reads. "The public school system is the most logical and practical entity to identify students experiencing homelessness, ensure they are enrolled in school, and support them during an intensely traumatic period." 

NSBA Joins Organizations Supporting the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act

On July 29, NSBA joined ten other organizations on a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell regarding the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, which includes two critical student and child privacy bills, the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The letter expresses strong support for COPPA 2.0 as it "strikes the right balance between enhancing child and teen privacy protections online and enabling schools to effectively incorporate edtech into the classroom."

NSBA Joins Broad Coalition Urging Congress to Reject Funding Cuts and Support Key Non-Defense Programs

On June 25, NSBA joined a coalition of more than 1,000 organizations in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to reject proposed funding cuts for Fiscal Year 2025 that could undermine essential non-defense discretionary (NDD) programs, which include a wide array of services such as education, scientific research, healthcare for veterans, environmental conservation, public health, and infrastructure development. The letter emphasizes the critical role NDD programs play in sustaining America’s competitiveness, economic strength, and public services and argues that cutting funding to FY 2024 levels will not effectively reduce the national debt but will instead significantly harm programs vital to Americans. The letter highlights the broad benefits these programs provide across all states and congressional districts and advocates for robust funding that meets the country's needs, thereby maintaining American competitiveness, economic resilience, and essential services for families and individuals.

NSBA Advocates for Additional Federal Dollars to Address Teacher Shortages

On May 7, NSBA joined more than 30 national organizations and more than 50 state and local organizations on a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate appropriations committees asking for $2.4 billion – a 10% increase – for Title II, Part A, in Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations without cutting other education programs. “Our country’s national teacher and school leader shortage crisis is accelerating,” the letter reads. “Educators are increasingly leaving the profession, while the number of new educators entering is waning. A critical way to combat this recruitment and retention crisis is by supporting targeted, effective, and long-term professional development for teachers, principals, and other school leaders by investing in Title II, Part A, the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).” 

NSBA Endorses the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act

On April 17, NSBA joined ten education organizations in endorsing the updated version of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) that was released on February 15, 2024 by Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and the House companion to COPPA 2.0 that was announced on April 9, 2024, by Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Kathy Castor (D-FL).

"We believe that the updated version of this bill finds the right balance between enhancing child and teen privacy protections online and enabling schools to effectively incorporate edtech into the classroom," the organizations write in a letter to Markey, Cassidy, Walberg, and Castor. "Our organizations take student data privacy seriously and we strongly support updates and revisions to child privacy protections. At the same time, we believe that effectively incorporating edtech into classroom instruction is necessary to promote greater learning and success for all students and will help local education agencies best serve their communities."

NSBA Urges Federal Trade Commission to Retain COPPA School Authorization Framework

On March 11, NSBA filed public comments on the Federal Trade Commission’s proposal to amend the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule. NSBA urged the Commission to retain the new language it proposes to codify a school authorization exception to the parent consent requirement. “By allowing schools to authorize collection of student data for limited educational purposes, students and teachers will be able to enjoy the benefits of edtech for curricular and other legitimate school purposes,” NSBA explained. This codification of longstanding FTC guidance should facilitate greater and more equitable access to edtech tools for students. The proposed rule coordinates the framework of two important statutes – FERPA, designed to protect student education records, and COPPA, designed to provide parent control over what information is collected from their young children online, smoothing the way for more efficient and effective use of edtech tools to help students learn.

NSBA also joined eight other organizations on a letter to the Federal Trade Commission on the same issue.

NSBA and Eleven Partners File School Cyber Pilot Comments

On Jan. 29, NSBA filed comments with eleven national partners in response to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposal to establish a schools and libraries cybersecurity pilot program. The comments expressed strong support for the pilot while also urging the FCC to follow-through on the agency’s 2023 firewall rulemaking. Specifically, NSBA and its partners asked the FCC to immediately add advanced firewalls to the E-rate Category Two eligible services list, while also creating an 18-month pilot program to gather additional information about the fields cybersecurity needs. 

NSBA Comments on FCC Home Wi-Fi for Students

On Jan. 16, NSBA joined other members of the Education and Libraries Network Coalition in filing comments responding to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposal to expand the E-rate program to include mobile Wi-Fi hotspots and related services for students and teachers at home. NSBA and our partners urged the FCC to allow E-rate funds to be used for this purpose, so that all students and instructional staff have access to broadband for digital teaching and learning.

NSBA Joins More Than 1,100 Organizations in Opposing a Full-Year Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government

On Jan. 8, NSBA joined more than 1,100 organizations expressing alarm at the possibility of very deep cuts to non-defense programs, including education, if Congress were to pass a full-year continuing resolution. "Such cuts would be disastrous for the capacity of the federal government to serve the public, assist those in need, fuel innovation, and address national and global threats," the letter reads. "We strongly urge Congressional leadership to instead finish the FY24 appropriations process and adopt the bipartisan Senate funding framework as a starting point for final negotiations."