President’s budget funds Impact Aid, Secure Rural Schools, special education
Published: February 14, 2018
Earlier this week, the Trump Administration submitted the president's fiscal year 2019 budget request to Congress, which proposes a $3.8 billion cut to the Department of Education, a $2.6 billion decrease for the Department of Labor, and an $18 billion decrease for the Department of Health and Human Services. The president's annual spending request provides insights into the administration's funding priorities and policy objectives, but rarely drives Congress's appropriations decisions. The two-year budget deal reported last week is still in play and congressional appropriators are working out the actual appropriations details for the current year (FY18) and the next year (FY19) that begins October 1, 2018.
Highlights of the President’s FY 2019 proposal
- Increase of $525 million to a total of $1.189 billion for Impact Aid Basic Support Payments. According to the Administration, this amount would restore the program to its 2017 level.
- Secure Rural Schools are proposed to be funded at $54.2 million, about one-fourth of the amount funded in 2015.
- IDEA state grants would increase to $12.1 billion. That program was funded at $12 billion in 2017.
- $600 million for charter school grants. This is $100 million more than was included in Congressional FY 2018 budget proposals. The Administration proposes another $500 million for a new choice initiative that would need to be created in statute.
- The $15.4 billion proposed for Title I matches the amounts proposed in the FY 2018 Congressional budget deal.
- Title II professional development grants are proposed to be eliminated. That agrees with the House version of the FY 2018 proposed budget, however, the Senate included $2 billion.
- Title III for English learners aligns with the $737 million proposed by both the House and Senate.
- Title IV block grants are proposed to be eliminated by the Administration. For FY 2018 the House version contains $500 million and the Senate contains $450 million.
- Matches what Congress approved for Career Tech state grants at $1.1 billion.
- Increase of $400 million to a total of $950 million for the TRIO program, an outreach program to disadvantaged middle, high school and college youth. The Administration supports turning this program into a state grant program.
- For Head Start, the Administration proposes $9.2 billion, which is $100 million below what the House and Senate proposed.