Much caterwauling has accompanied the president's new budget. Senator Kennedy thundered that the proposal, which reduces Department of Education funding about 1 percent, to $56 billion, is "the most anti-student, anti-education budget since the Republicans tried to abolish the Department of Education." Suffice to say he is exaggerating. The budget actually increases Pell Grant funding by 45 percent (to $18 billion), and gives new money to math and science partnerships, charter school grant programs, high school reading initiatives, and Title I. Taking a hit are Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs (famously ineffectual), a whole bunch of tiny special-interest-group favorites, and outmoded voc ed programs. Given that Congress larded up the present year's education funding bill with hundreds and hundreds AND HUNDREDS of useless pork-barrel earmarks (see http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050109-120809-9076r.htm), we suspect that 1 percent will not cause undue hardship to the children.
"A cut for schools, a first for Bush," by Anne E. Kornblut, New York Times, February 8, 2005 (subscription required)
"President's FY 2006 budget focuses resources on students who need them most," Department of Education, February 7, 2005
President's FY 2006 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education, February 2005
"Charter school programs level-funded," Charter School Leadership Council, February 8, 2005