RRCNA Advocacy Update - April, 2008

Dear RRCNA Members:

They’re b-a-c-k. After a two week spring break, Congress has returned for an eight week sprint to Memorial Day. Below are a few things to watch for on and off Capitol Hill:

1. Budget Resolution for FY 2009: Congress has until April 15th to pass a non-binding Budget Resolution setting an overall spending limit for discretionary domestic spending, which includes education. The House and Senate each passed a Resolution before the spring break and will appoint a conference committee to reconcile them. See below for details about H Con Res 312 and S Con Res 70.
    
2. Funding Focus: School Improvement Funds: School Improvement funds are one of the few new/increasing federal funding sources for education. The funding is administered by state education agencies and targeted to schools identified as in need of improvement under No Child Left Behind. See below for a brief snapshot of the amount, uses and status of implementation of this funding stream.
    
3. Higher Education Act: The House and Senate versions of the HEA reauthorization are under discussion, although final action is not expected by the time the April 30th extension expires. Word has it that proposed new programs and new state mandates are topics under discussion.
    
4. National Library Week: April 13 – 19, 2008

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1. Budget Resolution: The House Budget (H Con Res 312) provides an increase of $7.1 billion or 9 percent over the President’s FY09 request for education and training. It also includes two deficit neutral reserve funds – one to accommodate a higher education bill to make college more accessible and affordable and one to accommodate a tax credit for school construction. The Senate Budget (S Con Res 70) provides $5.4 billion above the President’s FY2009 request and $4.8 billion over the FY2008 enacted amount (8% increase). RRCNA summarized the President’s request for select education programs. 
    
2. School Improvement Funds: The No Child Left Behind Act authorizes school improvement grants to states for Title I schools that do not make adequate yearly progress for at least 2 consecutive years. Authorized activities include the development and implementation of school improvement plans, professional development for teachers and staff, corrective actions such as instituting a new curriculum, development and implementation of restructuring plans, and the provision of public school choice and supplemental educational services options. Funding: The first year of funding, FY 2007, was $125 million and is currently being awarded. Forty-eight states have received their allocations thus far, and state agencies are now in the process of distributing the funds to selected school districts using a variety of distribution methods (e.g. competitions, applications, targeting). Amounts awarded to districts vary from state to state but average around $100,000. The next round of dollars ($490 million for FY 2008) will likely get to the states late this summer or fall. A general description of the school improvement program is available on the USDE website.  Contact your state education agency for more specific information about their plan and priorities for using school improvement funds.