69ý

Federal

Educators Lobby Congress to Keep Title V Funding

By Mary Ann Zehr — October 26, 2004 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Advocacy groups for public and private schools have banded together to try to save a fund in the federal budget that is authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act for innovative school programs.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a fiscal 2005 spending plan for education that would eliminate the fund, while an appropriations bill approved by the House of Representatives would provide $20 million for it.

That would be far less than the $297 million that President Bush proposed for the fund in his 2005 budget request, the same amount that it received in fiscal 2004. The fund is authorized by Title V, Part A, of the No Child Left Behind Act, and has been used for a broad array of materials and equipment or services to students, ranging from remedial programs to educational technology.

“The program is consistent with the president’s philosophy of putting flexible funding in the hands of local leaders,” Department of Education spokeswoman Susan Aspey said via e-mail.

But John Scofield, a spokesman for Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee, called the fund “walking-around money for the states” that is not tied to high standards.

“We put our scarce resources into Title I, special education, and Pell Grants,” he said.

The Senate Appropriations Committee said in a report that it eliminated the fund because of “the lack of evidence of effectiveness in contributing to improved student learning and the importance of investments in other areas where a system for measuring program performance is in place.”

Groups such as the American Association of School Administrators, the Council for American Private Education, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and the National School Boards Association have formed a coalition to lobby federal legislators to change their minds.

Congress is expected to complete work on the appropriations bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education when it resumes for a lame-duck session in mid-November. The 2005 fiscal year began Oct. 1.

Flexible Funding

Private school educators are concerned about the possible loss of money under Title V because that program reaches more private school students than any other federal education program, said Joe McTighe, the executive director of the Council for American Private Education, a Germantown, Md.-based umbrella lobbying group for private school associations.

Title V money goes to public school districts, but those districts must spend an amount on materials or services for private school students that corresponds with their proportion within a geographic area. The aid may go for serving all students in a school, not just those who are disadvantaged, as is the case under Title I.

State departments of education use the money to pay for experienced educational consultants to visit school districts to help turn them around, said Patricia F. Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the CCSSO, based in Washington.

“The critical component is that the money is flexible,” said Dan Fuller, the director of federal programs for the Alexandria, Va.-based NSBA.

The private school community is divided over the importance of Title V money.

“Most of our schools are not receiving federal entitlement funds,” said Edward E. Gamble, the executive director of the Southern Baptist Association of Christian 69ý. “With federal money usually come federal strings, and you can’t use the funds for religious purposes—and that’s what our schools exist for.”

At the same time, almost every Roman Catholic school in the country benefits from Title V, said the Rev. William S. Davis, the deputy secretary for schools for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Father Davis stressed that private schools don’t receive money under the program. School districts pay the bills for materials or services that they are obligated to share with private schools. Catholic schools primarily receive library books, technology, and professional development under Title V, Father Davis said.

In its 2000 ruling in Mitchell v. Helms, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the government’s provision of computers and library books to religious schools under a federal program that was the precursor to Title V. The program had been challenged as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against government-established religion.

Mr. Scofield noted that House members have gotten the message that school groups are opposed to a reduction in funding for Title V.

“We’re getting some complaining,” he said.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Federal Video Linda McMahon: 5 Things to Know About Trump's Choice for Education Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former pro-wrestling CEO Linda McMahon to lead the education department.
1 min read
Federal The K-12 World Reacts to Linda McMahon, Trump's Choice for Education Secretary
Some question her lack of experience in education, while supporters say her business background is a major asset.
7 min read
Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Linda McMahon speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. McMahon has been selected by President-elect Trump to serve as as the next secretary of education.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal What a National School Choice Program Under President Trump Might Look Like
School choice advocates—and detractors—see a second Trump term as the biggest opportunity in decades for choice at the federal level.
8 min read
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69ý," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69ý," event in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2020, in Washington. He returns to power with more momentum than ever behind policies that allow public dollars to pay for private school education.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal 5 Things to Know About Linda McMahon, Trump's Pick for Education Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment has long spoken favorably about school choice.
7 min read
Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Oct. 3, 2018.
Linda McMahon speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Oct. 3, 2018, when she was serving as head of the Small Business Administration during President Trump's first administration. McMahon is now President-elect Trump's choice for U.S. secretary of education.
Susan Walsh/AP