Unions: Nebraska to get less federal school funding than was promised
Posted: Saturday, January 17, 2004
OMAHA (AP) -- Reports from the nation's two largest teachers unions say Nebraska will get millions less in federal school funding over the next two years than it was promised.
The news is disheartening to many, who note that the state's schools already have suffered state funding cuts and are being burdened with new federal student testing requirements.
"This is one the discouraging things about working with federal programs," said John Bonaiuto, director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. "Promises are made that are not kept. Then you're required to do things ... that cost money. I think we're really being shortchanged."
The National Education Association, to which Nebraska unionized teachers belong, recently reported that Nebraska will get $95.9 million next year in federal funding for Title I and seven other federal programs related to meeting No Child Left Behind requirements. That's nearly $33 million less than the $128.7 million authorized by Congress when the bill was approved, the group said.
It's also more than $90 million less that what the union says is needed to fully fund the sweeping education reform law championed by President Bush and passed in 2001.
In a separate report, the American Federation of Teachers cited congressional research numbers in announcing President Bush will offer Nebraska nearly $28.9 million less in federal Title I funds for the 2005-2006 than the $82 million it was promised.
Title I is a federal aid program for poor students.
However, a U.S. Education Department official insisted Friday that those reports are exaggerated.
"There's no unfunded mandate here," Jack Martin, chief financial officer of the U.S. Department of Education, said Friday.
The federal department says the president's budget provides $108.2 million to Nebraska to help implement No Child Left Behind. It also says Title I funding has increased by $15 million since 2001.
Union officials argue those increases are less than what has been promised.
Regardless, less-than-expected funding will not keep Nebraska from prioritizing its education goals, Nebraska Education Commissioner Doug Christensen said Friday.
"It isn't going to stop anything we're doing," Christensen said at an education conference in Omaha intended to help schools secure federal grants.
He said Nebraska will continue its unique student assessment system, which allows each school district to come up with its own methods to meet the state's standards in such basics as math, reading and science.
While Nebraska managed to get the federal Education Department to sign off on the system last year, the approval did not come without some concessions. Earlier this month, Nebraska's Board of Education approved proposed penalties for school districts whose students test below average in reading and math.
Meeting the federal No Child Left Behind requires more time and more school resources, Gov. Mike Johanns said Friday.
"There are added costs here," Johanns said. "It's very, very concerning. It's not like No Child Left Behind goes away" if the program is not fully funded.
Bonaiuto compared the gap in funding for No Child Left Behind to that of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), passed by Congress in 1975. At that time, Congress promised to pay 40 percent of costs for the program, which promises an education to special education students. Since then, however, the federal government has never contributed more than 20 percent of funding for special education.
"This is kind of the same thing," Bonaiuto said of No Child Left Behind. "I think if the federal government doesn't come through with the resources that they've promised, then I think No Child Left Behind will be even more underfunded than IDEA."
While there is plenty of disagreement over whether Nebraska and other states are better off or bogged down under the federal education law, there is no disputing the increased frustration of weary teachers, said Duane Obermier, president of the state's teachers union, the Nebraska State Education Association.
"It comes at a time when teachers are tired," Obermier said. "They've been told for a while now to do more, do more, do more and do it with less. They can only take so much of that."
The news is disheartening to many, who note that the state's schools already have suffered state funding cuts and are being burdened with new federal student testing requirements.
"This is one the discouraging things about working with federal programs," said John Bonaiuto, director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. "Promises are made that are not kept. Then you're required to do things ... that cost money. I think we're really being shortchanged."
The National Education Association, to which Nebraska unionized teachers belong, recently reported that Nebraska will get $95.9 million next year in federal funding for Title I and seven other federal programs related to meeting No Child Left Behind requirements. That's nearly $33 million less than the $128.7 million authorized by Congress when the bill was approved, the group said.
It's also more than $90 million less that what the union says is needed to fully fund the sweeping education reform law championed by President Bush and passed in 2001.
In a separate report, the American Federation of Teachers cited congressional research numbers in announcing President Bush will offer Nebraska nearly $28.9 million less in federal Title I funds for the 2005-2006 than the $82 million it was promised.
Title I is a federal aid program for poor students.
However, a U.S. Education Department official insisted Friday that those reports are exaggerated.
"There's no unfunded mandate here," Jack Martin, chief financial officer of the U.S. Department of Education, said Friday.
The federal department says the president's budget provides $108.2 million to Nebraska to help implement No Child Left Behind. It also says Title I funding has increased by $15 million since 2001.
Union officials argue those increases are less than what has been promised.
Regardless, less-than-expected funding will not keep Nebraska from prioritizing its education goals, Nebraska Education Commissioner Doug Christensen said Friday.
"It isn't going to stop anything we're doing," Christensen said at an education conference in Omaha intended to help schools secure federal grants.
He said Nebraska will continue its unique student assessment system, which allows each school district to come up with its own methods to meet the state's standards in such basics as math, reading and science.
While Nebraska managed to get the federal Education Department to sign off on the system last year, the approval did not come without some concessions. Earlier this month, Nebraska's Board of Education approved proposed penalties for school districts whose students test below average in reading and math.
Meeting the federal No Child Left Behind requires more time and more school resources, Gov. Mike Johanns said Friday.
"There are added costs here," Johanns said. "It's very, very concerning. It's not like No Child Left Behind goes away" if the program is not fully funded.
Bonaiuto compared the gap in funding for No Child Left Behind to that of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), passed by Congress in 1975. At that time, Congress promised to pay 40 percent of costs for the program, which promises an education to special education students. Since then, however, the federal government has never contributed more than 20 percent of funding for special education.
"This is kind of the same thing," Bonaiuto said of No Child Left Behind. "I think if the federal government doesn't come through with the resources that they've promised, then I think No Child Left Behind will be even more underfunded than IDEA."
While there is plenty of disagreement over whether Nebraska and other states are better off or bogged down under the federal education law, there is no disputing the increased frustration of weary teachers, said Duane Obermier, president of the state's teachers union, the Nebraska State Education Association.
"It comes at a time when teachers are tired," Obermier said. "They've been told for a while now to do more, do more, do more and do it with less. They can only take so much of that."
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