The 2006 Federal Education Budget Is Not So Rosy
The federal budget is final and it does not please the education
community, writes David A. DeSchryver. The FY 2006 budget provides the
first cut in federal education spending in over a decade and it
terminates
many state-based programs that were not deemed to be effective.
Overall,
the Department of Education will receive $56.5 billion in discretionary
for FY 2006, which began Oct. 1, which is $59 million less than it
received in 2005. Education technology did not avoid the knife. The
program lost $221 million from FY 2005, yet that is, oddly, good news
for
many in the sector. Early in the year the program faced termination, but
for some fierce lobbying (making it clear that it is difficult to have a
data driven technology culture without technology funding) the entire
program would have vanished. Other programs did not fare as well. Forty
eight programs will be eliminated and their funds will be used to
buttress
other areas and absorb the loss.
There are, however, some bright points.
First, Congress did make an exceptional effort to accommodate the needs
of
the states and districts rampaged by hurricane Katrina by providing more
than $253 million through the Hurricane Education Recovery Act. Poverty
and special education programs also received a boost. The federal Title
I
program will increase by $603 million and funding for disabled students
will increase $508 million to $11.1 billion.
All considered, it is
unfortunate that such a cornerstone of the Bush Administration did not
receive the attention is deserves, but that was the case for most
non-defense programs in the 2006 federal budget.
http://www.thedoylereport.com/default_article.aspx?page_id=spotlight&id=1391
Posted 1/30/06