Mikulski Calls For More Support For Public Schools in Budget

Press Release

Mikulski Calls For More Support For Public Schools in Budget

"We must do all we can to make sure no child is left out or left behind."

As the Budget Committee begins consideration of the fiscal year 2009 budget resolution, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today called for increased funds for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act. In a letter to Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Senator Mikulski joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues in urging them to double the investment in Title I over the next five years to address the lack of federal funding for our public schools.

"We must do all we can to make sure no child is left out or left behind," said Senator Mikulski, a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. "I will continue to fight for funding in the federal checkbook to help Maryland schools get the resources, tools and training they need."

Grants under Title I are the largest source of federal funding for K-12 public schools. Funding is targeted to help schools close the achievement gap and provide a quality education to every child, no matter their zip code. When schools receive intensive and sustained support from Title I, they demonstrate dramatic gains in raising student achievement. Unfortunately, the program has been severely underfunded, shortchanging school districts across the country by nearly $55 billion since 2002.

The letter was led by Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Chairman Conrad and Ranking Member Gregg:

As the Budget Committee begins consideration of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution, we strongly urge you to include in your budget assumptions increased funds for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act. We respectfully request that your assumptions include sufficient funds to double the investment in Title I over the next five years, at a cost of about $3 billion a year.

When NCLB was passed in 2002, Congress and the Administration made a strong, bipartisan federal commitment to invest in closing the achievement gap and improving public education. Unfortunately, schools across the country have been shortchanged in their efforts to improve performance and student achievement by nearly $55 billion since the law's enactment. As we work to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we will address the challenges that schools and districts have faced in implementing the law and provide new solutions for our children and our teachers. As part of that effort, we urge your assistance in providing additional funding to support schools and districts as they work to ensure that every child meets high standards.

Grants under Title I enable States to target funds to school districts with the lowest-achieving schools, which clearly need more resources to improve and help their students do well. Across the nation, we are beginning to see dramatic gains in student achievement in schools that have received intensive and sustained support. However, severe underfunding in recent years has resulted in cuts in Title I funding in over half the nation's school districts. By doubling Title I funding in the next five years, many more schools can make the improvements needed, so that all children, regardless of background, can reach high academic standards.

We understand that the Committee must balance many competing priorities. However, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is a high priority for this Congress and for the nation. As we all know, strengthening education is critical for the nation to remain competitive in today's knowledge economy. By better educating youth today, we can help ensure a skilled and innovative workforce of tomorrow.

Strong support for improving the public schools most in need of assistance is a major goal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. We urge you to include a doubling of funds for Title I over the next five years in your budget assumption for Fiscal Year 2009. Thank you for your consideration of our request, and we look forward to working with you on this important issue.

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