69传媒

Blog

Your Education Road Map

Politics K-12庐

Politics K-12 kept watch on education policy and politics in the nation鈥檚 capital and in the states. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: , .

Federal

What a Bipartisan Infrastructure Agreement Between Biden, Senators Would Mean for 69传媒

By Evie Blad 鈥 June 24, 2021 3 min read
Vice President Kamala Harris tours Thomas Built Buses, Monday, April 19, 2021, in High Point, N.C.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

An announced by President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators Thursday does not include money for school facilities, but does include funding for electric school buses, replacing lead pipes to ensure students have clean drinking water, and expanding broadband access.

Advocates for overhauling the nation鈥檚 crumbling K-12 buildings still saw an open door for targeted federal school infrastructure funding.

Alongside the $579 billion agreement, Biden said congressional Democrats would pursue a parallel spending package that would include some of his other priorities, like expanded spending for child-care and education.

That separate package, which Biden did not detail, could be passed through a process called reconciliation, which would require a simple majority to pass, allowing for less Republican buy-in. But it would still require support from moderate Democrats like Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who have been resistant to some calls for larger federal spending.

In a news conference Thursday, Biden said he wouldn鈥檛 sign the infrastructure bill if it was not accompanied by the parallel reconciliation package.

That leaves an opening for advocates calling for federal spending to upgrade and replace aging school buildings, though it鈥檚 not clear if that funding will be part of the reconciliation package.

Biden鈥檚 initial infrastructure proposal had called for $100 billion in direct grants and bonds to overhaul school facilities.

69传媒 are governed at the state and local level, and that鈥檚 also where they receive a bulk of their funding. That has left some Republicans resistant to including them in an infrastructure package alongside traditional priorities, like roads and bridges, especially as K-12 administrators begin to spend billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief aid.

Electric school buses, lead pipes, broadband make the first cut

Biden announced the infrastructure agreement outside the White House alongside senators from both parties. It came after months of negotiations that centered on the priorities outlined in his American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan.

鈥淟et me be clear,鈥 Biden said. 鈥淣either side got everything they wanted in the deal. That鈥檚 what it means to compromise.鈥

The deal calls for $7.5 billion to help replace thousands of school and transit buses with electric models, about half of what Biden had in his initial proposal.

That鈥檚 long been a priority for Vice President Kamala Harris, who pitched an electric school bus plan during her own presidential campaign. In April, she toured an electric bus manufacturer as congressional Democrats pushed for $25 billion in federal spending to purchase them.

The bipartisan also calls for $55 billion in water infrastructure, including a plan to eliminate lead service lines and pipes, 鈥渄elivering clean drinking water to up to ten million American families and more than 400,000 schools and child-care facilities that currently don鈥檛 have it, including in Tribal nations and disadvantaged communities.鈥

If passed, the agreement would also provide $65 billion to expand broadband access across the country. That鈥檚 been a priority for education groups that have sought to close the 鈥渉omework gap鈥 for students who don鈥檛 have reliable home internet connections. It became a greater concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools struggled to connect with those children during extended periods of remote learning.

Biden likened the broadband plan to federal previous efforts to provide electricity to all American households.

The agreement鈥 and the potential parallel reconciliation package鈥 must still clear many hurdles.

Members of Congress who supported the negotiations must pitch the proposal to their peers.

And Democrats will have to forge an intraparty compromise about what to include in the reconciliation package before bringing it to a vote.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Politics K-12 blog.

Events

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
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
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 Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 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 From Our Research Center How Educators Say They'll Vote in the 2024 Election
Educators' feelings on Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump vary by age and the communities where they work.
4 min read
Jacob Lewis, 3, waits at a privacy booth as his grandfather, Robert Schroyer, fills out his ballot while voting at Sabillasville Elementary School, Nov. 8, 2022, in Sabillasville, Md.
Jacob Lewis, 3, waits at a privacy booth as his grandfather, Robert Schroyer, fills out his ballot while voting at Sabillasville Elementary School, Nov. 8, 2022, in Sabillasville, Md.
Julio Cortez/AP
Federal Q&A Oklahoma State Chief Ryan Walters: 'Trump's Won the Argument on Education'
The state schools chief's name comes up as Republicans discuss who could become education secretary in a second Trump administration.
8 min read
Ryan Walters, then-Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent, speaks at a rally, Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
Ryan Walters speaks at a rally on Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City as a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction. He won the race and has built a national profile for governing in the MAGA mold.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Federal Why Trump and Harris Have Barely Talked About 69传媒 This Election
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump haven't outlined many plans for K-12 schools, reflecting what's been the norm in recent contests for the White House.
6 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris participate during an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris participate in an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center on Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Who Could Be Donald Trump's Next Education Secretary?
Trump must decide if he wants someone with a "proven track record" or a "culture warrior," says a former GOP Hill staffer.
9 min read
President Donald Trump, right, arrives in a classroom at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Fla., on March 3, 2017.
President Donald Trump, right, arrives in a classroom at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Fla., on March 3, 2017.
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP