With omissions, House panel draws up proposed education budget

A House subcommittee has approved a federal education budget for 2017-18 — and the spending plan might be more notable for what isn’t included.

A few key omissions, as reported by Andrew Ujifusa of Education Week:

  • The bill cuts $2 billion in Title II money, a grant program that states use to train teachers or reduce class sizes.
  • The bill does not include President Trump’s proposal to boost Title I funding by $1 billion, but tie the new money to a school choice initiative.
  • Another Trump initiative didn’t make the cut: a $250 million state grant program funding school choice.

The Title II cut could have far-reaching impacts in Idaho. The state’s cut of Title II funding comes to roughly $10 million, but in 2016-17, 144 of Idaho’s 153 school districts and charter schools received a share of the money.

All told, the House bill would provide $66 billion for the Education Department, down $2.4 billion, Ujifusa reported. The Trump proposal — widely panned by Congress — would cut department spending to $59 billion.

 

 

 

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 35 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. He can be reached at [email protected]

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