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

FOR RELEASE: December 21, 2000	Contact:         Roberta Heine or Alexander Wohl (202) 401-3026

CONGRESS PASSES RECORD $42 BILLION EDUCATION BUDGET
Secretary Riley calls 18 percent increase a "landmark"

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley today hailed the record $42.1 billion appropriations bill passed by Congress as "a landmark in the nation's commitment to the education of our children."

The package includes $6.5 billion in new funding to reduce class size, provide emergency repairs for run-down schools, increase after-school opportunities, improve teacher quality, help turn around low-performing schools, strengthen support for children with disabilities, and expand access to and funding for college.

"The 18 percent increase over last year is the largest one-year increase in education funding in the Department's history," Riley said. "This increased investment in education is a tribute to the strong leadership of President Clinton and Vice President Gore, to the hard work of a bipartisan coalition in Congress who have produced this bold legislation, and to the desires and interests of the American people, who have made education a national priority."

The Secretary added, "This was a very good next step, but additional funds will still be needed over the next few years to achieve full implementation of legislation designed to strengthen student achievement, including smaller classes, teacher quality, school renovation, and after-school programs."

Riley said he was especially disappointed that the school renovation program was not funded to the Administration's request and suggested that passage of the Johnson-Rangel School Modernization Bond Bill, which had 230 bipartisan co-sponsors in the Congress that just adjourned, should be enacted early in the new Congress.

Among the highlights of the FY2001 Appropriations bill:

Reducing Class Size with the third installment toward training and hiring 100,000 new teachers over seven years to reduce class sizes in early grades to 18 students per class: $1.6 billion - a 25 percent increase - which will mean approximately 8,000 new highly qualified teachers in the nation's schools.

Upgrade Teacher Skills and Quality with Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants with nearly 15,000 school districts receiving $485 million - a 45 percent increase - to help reduce the number of uncertified teachers and teachers who are not trained in the subjects they are teaching.

Improve Reading and Math by increasing Title I Grants to local education agencies which help disadvantaged students learn the basics and achieve high standards: $8.6 billion - an 8.3 percent increase. The bill also includes the full Administration request - $286 million - for the Reading Excellence Act.

Urgent School Renovation Grants would provide support for emergency repairs, such as repair of roofs, plumbing and electrical systems, and meeting fire and safety codes, and includes funding for special education services or technology-related construction activities and support for a new charter school facility financing pilot: this new program was funded for $1.2 billion.

21st Century After-School Programs offer 650,000 additional school-age children in 3,100 new family centers a safe, drug-free environment to learn during after-school and summertime hours while helping strengthen academic achievement: $845 million - an increase of 87 percent. These centers, approximately 6,700 centers in 2001, would also offer lifelong learning opportunities for adults.

Strengthen Accountability by accelerating state and local efforts to improve the lowest performing Title I schools with reforms ranging from intensive teacher training to required implementation of proven reforms to school takeovers: $225 million.

Comprehensive School Reform helps schools develop or adapt comprehensive school reform models that are based on reliable research and effective practices: $260 million - an 18 percent increase.

Special Education Grants to States to assist them in providing a free appropriate public education to more than 6.3 million children with disabilities nationally: $6.3 billion - a 27 percent increase.

Pell Grants provide grant assistance to help low-income undergraduate students attend college: $8.8 billion - an increase of 15 percent - coupled with a $450 increase in the maximum Pell Grant to $3,750. Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants provide grant assistance to low-income undergraduate students: $691 million - a 9.5 percent increase.

Federal Work-Study helps undergraduate and graduate students pay for college through part-time work assistance: $1 billion - an 8 percent increase.

GEAR UP and TRIO prepare low-income middle and high school students for college through a variety of approaches: $295 million for GEAR UP and $730 million for TRIO.

NOTE TO EDITORS: State-by-state and national budget tables can be found on the Education Department's Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/budget.html.

###