FY21: More money for students/schools

Statement

Title I-A schools grants go up $254 million in the fiscal year 2021 education appropriation was approved in subcommittee. Title I-A is the biggest block of federal funding for the Marianas Public School System and my top request to appropriators for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill. I revised the Title I-A funding formula in 2015 to increase the annual grant for PSS. As a result, this year our schools get $12 million; and that amount will go up again, when the $254 million nationwide increase is enacted. My requests to increase funding for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, for Pell Grants, and Head Start were also included in the bill. Compared to last year, the bill raises IDEA funding by $208 million, maximum Pell grant awards to $6,495, and Head Start by $150 million.

Source