A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                              Contact:  Kathryn Kahler    August 11, 1995                                    (202) 401-3026

According to Education Department projections, the children and grandchildren of baby boomers will help drive enrollment in the nation's schools and colleges to record levels by the end of the century. And, not only are more students going to school, more are staying in school.

The influx of students will create a pressing need for extra help in the basics and core academics, funds to keep schools safe and drug-free, and greater financial aid for college -- at a time when Congress is proposing to cut federal support for education by $36 billion over the next seven years.

As soon as this coming school year (1995-96), the number of students in elementary and secondary schools may equal or surpass the baby-boom generation's 1971 peak of 51 million students. The forecast is for 53 million students in 1997, 55 million by 2002. And college enrollment is projected to jump more than 1.3 million students over the next seven years.

At a recent White House briefing with President Clinton, members of Congress, and representatives of education groups, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley said he fears the nation will be ill-prepared for this enrollment growth, especially if Congress is successful in cutting support for elementary and secondary education by 19 percent and reducing financial assistance for deserving students to attend college.

"Slashing education is bad for America's children and our nation's future," Riley said. "I have to question the members of Congress who would put less important priorities ahead of arming our children against ignorance and mediocrity by giving them a good start in life."

Riley said education budget cuts are "a threat to the internal security of the nation" at a time when schools are faced with serving significantly more students. "The gap between the unparalleled increase in students and the unprecedented cut in educational investment is the education gap that our nation faces.

"The children of the famous post-war baby boom are now parents sending their own children to school," he said. "But, in these increasingly tough times, Congress is placing the burden on states and communities to find the resources to improve the quality of American education."

These cuts will produce "a tidal wave of teenagers who won't get the basic skills they need, the high standards and disciplined learning environment they deserve, and the opportunity they need to go to college."

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a spending bill for the coming fiscal year that cuts federal education spending by nearly $4 billion. The U.S. Senate is expected to consider education appropriations next month, following an August recess. President Clinton has said he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk in its present form. The President's balanced-budget plan would erase the budget deficit while increasing education investments by $40 billion.

Riley said that his department estimates that from 1994 to 2002, public school (K-12) enrollments will increase from 44 to 49 million. High school enrollments (grades 9-12) will increase nationally by 15 percent.

NOTE TO EDITORS: States expected to have more than 25 percent increases in high school enrollments by 2002: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.