NSBA lobbyists met privately with key Senate and House Education Committee staff to discuss Congressional plans to begin the legislative process to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which could occur as early as next month.  NSBA reaffirmed its concerns to the House Committee staff with the House proposal to tie future funding to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and to eliminate Maintenance of Effort (MOE) provisions.  NSBA expressed its concern with the Senate Committee staff to expand comparability provisions to include non-personnel expenditures.  Follow-up meetings with the Senate and House Education Committee staff will be held prior to the introduction of the new bills in the House and the Senate.

NSBA Recommends More Local Authority in 2013 Race to the Top – District grants

NSBA filed formal recommendations with the U.S. Department of Education urging more school district autonomy in the Race to the Top – District (RTT-D) grant program.  An estimated $150 million will be available for competitive grants to LEAs to support bold, locally directed improvements in learning and teaching that would directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness.   While substantially similar to the first RTT-D competition in 2012, the Department proposes a new priority for 2013 that NSBA supports: integrated family and student supports.  This priority would permit school districts to integrate public or private resources in partnerships to provide innovative health, safety and community stability programs to high need students.  The new priority recognizes that capacity-building for school districts is a critical factor in the success and sustainability of programs initiated under this provision.  As Congress struggles to respond to tragic events such as those at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the new priority will allow LEAs to propose much needed support and prevention programs.

However, NSBA continues to have concerns about other proposed requirements for the RTT-D program.  For example, the Department proposes retaining the onerous and counterproductive requirement for a comment period by state education agencies, mayors, and city or town administrators on district applications.   Further, the Department proposes certain reporting requirements that appear to have little to do with the viability and effectiveness of district applications, and prescribes the manner in which school districts must demonstrate support from instructional staff for the proposal.

NSBA’s recommendations would ensure that local school districts are not overburdened with requirements that have little to do with the quality of school district applications, while retaining the ambitious goals of the RTT-D competition.  NSBA therefore strongly urges the Department to honor local authority in the RTT-D program by fully implementing our recommendations.

Highlights 5-17-13

Education Chairman Promotes Local Level Decision-making at House Hearing on ESEA

Education & Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (MN) declared support for local control and flexibility at a hearing considered a sign of momentum for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  The chairman’s opening statement at “Raising the Bar: Exploring State and Local Efforts to Improve Accountability” reflects NSBA’s concerns about the role of the federal government in education, including the precarious position for states under ESEA waivers: “First, we must restore local control, and encourage the kind of flexibility states and school districts need to develop their own accountability plans that provide parents more accurate and meaningful information about school performance.”  NSBA’s bill – the Local School Board Governance and Flexibility Act (HR 1386) – will go a long way toward restoring state and local flexibility.  Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA) concluded that the hearing may have laid a foundation for reauthorization for the long-overdue ESEA.

Senate Passes Marketplace Fairness Act

The Senate recently passed the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 743) by a vote of 69 to 27.  The bill seeks to affirm states’ sovereign rights to enforce state and local sales and use tax laws for remote transactions.

The Marketplace Fairness Act would not create a new tax, but would allow the collection of state and local option sales taxes on online sales that are already owed.  As several local option sales taxes are for educational purposes, the bill would help states and local governments sustain resources for our school districts.

Sponsored by Senator Mike Enzi (WY), S. 743 would require online retailers to collect and remit sales and use taxes to states and local governments, commensurate to brick-and-mortar businesses.  Overall, the bill seeks to level the playing field between online and mail-order retailers and local “Main Street” retailers, thereby establishing a level of parity and addressing erosion of local and state tax systems.  According to the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board, Inc., states and local governments lose an estimated $23 billion annually in sales tax revenues from remote sales.

S. 743 would exclude small online retailers with annual revenues less than $1 million. Under the legislation, each state that is a part of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement would be authorized to collect remote sales and use taxes.  Likewise, states that are not a member of the Agreement could collect remote sales and use taxes, provided they implement simplification requirements such as establishing a single entity responsible for tax administration, return processing and audits and establishing a uniform sales and use tax base among a state and its local taxing jurisdictions.

The bill is now pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.

NSBA Position:  NSBA urges Congress to support federal tax legislation to strengthen state and local efforts to fund public education, and to reject proposals that would negatively affect those efforts.

NSBA Bill Garners Additional Co-Sponsors

NSBA’s bill, Local School Board Governance and Flexibility Act, H.R. 1386, introduced by Rep. Aaron Schock (IL) on March 21, has now garnered 19 cosponsors: Rep. Lou Barletta (PA); Rep. Dan Benishek (MI); Rep. Jo Bonner (AL); Rep. Michael Burgess (TX); Rep. Kevin Cramer (ND); Rep. Rodney Davis (IL); Rep. Jim Gerlach (PA); Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH); Rep. Bill Johnson (OH); Rep. Ron Kind (WI); Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL); Rep. Cynthia Lummis (WY); Rep. Kenny Marchant (TX); Rep. Patrick Meehan (PA); Rep. Mick Mulvaney (SC); Rep. Stevan Pearce (NM); Rep. Ted Poe (TX); Rep. Marlin Stutzman (IN); Rep. David Valadao (CA).

Local school board members are encouraged to continue to contact their House members to become co-sponsors.  Increased focus is now being directed to Senators to introduce a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.  Local school board members are also encouraged to contact their Senators and urge them to sponsor similar legislation in the Senate.  NSBA staff lobbyists continue to brief other education and governance organizations for support as well.

Center for Public Education Releases Report on Turnaround Strategies

On May 1, CPE released its look at the impact of the various turnaround strategies called for in NCLB, School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Parent Trigger Laws. Entitled, “Which Way Up: What Research Says About Turnaround Strategies,” the report finds that the $5 billion in SIG investments are showing an early impact in about two-thirds of SIG schools based on one year’s data. The report also looked at the research on the four main strategies identified in SIG, RTTT and increasingly in Parent Trigger laws — school closure, restart (charters), transformation and turnaround — and shows that the evidence for their efficacy is mixed or limited. CPE concludes that decisions about turnaround strategies are best determined locally and once made, should be monitored closely to make sure they are producing results.

Sequestration Stories: Keep ‘em coming!

NSBA continues to oppose the sequester’s across-the-board budget cuts to education and urges Congress to pass a budget for FY2014 that will protect federal education investments.  As we continue to voice concerns over the cuts to affecting our students and communities, we need your local stories about these cuts and the impact they could have on student achievement.  Please forward information to kbranch@nsba.org or complete a brief two-question survey here.

Highlights 5-10-13

The U.S. Department of Education issued a Notice of Proposed Priorities (Notice) for a Phase 2 Race to the Top – District (RTT-D) grant competition in the Federal Register, April 16, 2013.  This is a victory for NSBA because in the 2012  grant cycle the U.S. Department of Education provided only a temporary blog on its website for public input – to which NSBA strenuously objected because it did not provide the transparency or responses/justification as required by an official Notice.   A second major NSBA recommendation in 2012 – that school board evaluations by teachers, superintendents and principals should be eliminated from the requirements – was successful, and the Phase 2 Notice reflects this recommendation.  NSBA’s 2012 comments are available here.

NSBA will file additional recommendations on Phase 2 RTT-D on behalf of local school district authority and flexibility.  For example, the Notice proposes to retain the onerous and counterproductive requirement for a comment period by state education agencies, mayors, and city or town administrators on district applications.   Further, the Notice mandates how school districts without collective bargaining agreements must demonstrate support from instructional staff.

The Notice of Proposed Priorities for Phase 2 is available on the Department’s Race to the Top website.  $150 million is estimated to be available for grants to LEAs from the federal government.  The deadline for comment is May 16, 2013.

NSBA Bill Garners Additional Co-Sponsors

NSBA’s bill, Local School Board Governance and Flexibility Act, H.R. 1386, introduced by Rep. Aaron Schock (IL) on March 21, has now garnered 15 cosponsors.  In addition to the original cosponsors: Reps. Rodney Davis (IL), Ron Kind (WI), Patrick Meehan (PA) and David Valadao (CA), eleven more members of the House have signed on: Reps. Lou Barletta (PA), Kevin Cramer (ND), Jim Gerlach (PA), Bob Gibbs (OH), Adam Kinzinger (IL), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Kenny Marchant (TX), Mick Mulvaney (SC), Stevan Pearce (NM), Ted Poe (TX) and Marlin Stutzman (IN).  Local school board members are encouraged to continue to contact their House members to become co-sponsors.  Increased focus is now being directed to Senators to introduce a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.  Local school board members are also encouraged to contact their Senators and urge them to sponsor similar legislation in the Senate.  NSBA staff lobbyist continue to brief other education and governance organizations for support as well.

Highlights 4-29-13

The responsibility for education resides with the states which, in turn, have delegated substantial authority to local educational agencies, which are governed by local school boards, to develop policies, set priorities, and provide accountability to direct the operation of its schools. Education decisions are best made locally by educators who understand school operations and their students’ needs. In recent years, the U.S. Department of Education has engaged in a variety of activities to reshape the educational delivery system. All too often these activities have operated to impact local policy and programs in ways that have been beyond the specific intent or contemplation of federal authorizing legislation.

Take action to urge your member of Congress to support and sponsor HR 1386 to reaffirm local decision making.

Get more information about the NSBA bill here including  issue brief, section-by-section analysis of HR 1386 and the bill text.

NSBA Supports Mental Health in Schools Initiative Approved by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee
NSBA worked successfully in the Senate this week to improve a bill authorizing states and school districts to use federal funds for school-based mental health services.   NSBA’s changes to the bill (S. 689 – the Mental Health Awareness & Improvement Act), assure that school districts are not held responsible for the cost of providing treatment or referrals for students with mental health needs, protect students & staff in the event of an emergency, and clarify that liability protection is extended to school personnel providing school-based mental health services.  The bi-partisan bill is sponsored by HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN).  Senator Al Franken (D-MN) authored much of the school-based mental health services language in the bill.

Other provisions of the bill:
• Encourage the development of school-wide prevention programs, such as positive behavioral interventions and supports to promote positive behaviors in students, create positive conditions for learning in schools, and identify students in need of supports and link them with appropriate services.
• Encourage states to provide technical assistance to Local Educational Agencies and school personnel on the implementation of school-based mental health programs and other approaches designed to improve learning environments in schools.
• Permit 21st Century Schools funds to include school-based mental health partnerships designed to help schools link students with the clinical mental health services they need.
• Clarify that Title I funds from ESEA can be used for school-wide intervention services and can also be used to create or update school emergency management plans.

NSBA will continue to monitor progress of the legislation.
NSBA’s Comments on Competitive Food Standards Urge Maximum Flexibility and Support for School Districts
NSBA submitted comments to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack this week urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide maximum flexibility and support to school districts in national nutrition standards for competitive foods.  The new mandatory standards will apply to all foods sold outside federal school lunch and breakfast programs, on the school campus, throughout the school day.  Due to potential operational and financial impact on virtually every school district participating in the national school lunch and breakfast programs, NSBA urged the department to recognize that local school boards are facing ten years of debilitating cuts in federal education funds as a result of sequestration in the Budget Control Act, and that any financial or operational impact from the new standards – no matter how small or seemingly insignificant – will impact instruction, staff, or both at the local level.

Further, NSBA urges the department to:
• Issue an Interim Final Rule on competitive food standards rather than a Final Rule, in order to avoid problems like those experienced this year with the national school lunch standards.
• Conduct a comprehensive study of the financial and operational impact of the competitive food standards on school districts, not just the school food authority.
• Postpone implementation of the proposed record keeping and compliance burden that applies to LEAs until a study has been completed on the costs to school districts.
• Allow LEAs to make the determination regarding the frequency of fundraisers that may be exempt from competitive food standards, as long as the determination is consistent with the district’s Local School Wellness Plan (LSWP).

The department will review the more than 3700 comments, and the new standards will go into effect one school year after the interim or final rule is published.

Senate Debates School Safety
The Senate is currently debating S. 649, the “Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013.”  This bill includes the legislation (‘‘School and Campus Safety Enhancements Act of 2013’”) that was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier, which would help fund school safety plans. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) sponsored the ‘‘School and Campus Safety Enhancements Act of 2013.”

The bill would provide $40 million in competitive grants through the Department of Justice to school districts for uses such as strengthening security plans and installation of surveillance/security equipment. S. 649 would also increase the maximum federal share of the costs of a program provided by a grant to 80 percent.

The bill states that grant applications should be accompanied by a report that: (1) is signed by the heads of each law enforcement agency and school district with jurisdiction over the schools where the safety improvements will be implemented; and (2) demonstrates that each proposed use of the grant funds will be an effective means for improving school safety, as well as consistent with a comprehensive approach to preventing school violence and individualized to the needs of each school.

Additionally, the legislation would direct the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Director and the Secretary of Education to establish an interagency task force to develop and promulgate a set of advisory school safety guidelines.

In the House, Congresswoman Lois Capps has introduced a companion bill to the Senate’s school safety legislation — H.R. 1470, the “School Safety Enhancement Act.”  NSBA will continue to work with members of the House and Senate as these bills move forward.

Education Funding
This week, the President released the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget request to Congress. The proposed budget of $3.77 trillion would increase overall funding for the U.S. Department of Education by $3.1 billion from the FY2012 level.

The budget request includes a plan to replace the sequester that began on March 1 (which is imposing $1.2 trillion in budget cuts to programs over 10 years) with $1.8 trillion in savings that would come from tax reforms and cuts to federal health programs.

Programmatic requests from the U.S. Department of Education include the following:

• Title I would be level funded at $14.5 billion.
• Teacher Quality grants would be level funded at $2.46 billion.
• Promise Neighborhoods would be funded at $300 million, an increase of $240 million.
• English Language Acquisition would be level funded at $732 million.
• Special education grants would be level funded at $11.57 billion.
• Impact Aid would be reduced from $1.29 billion to $1.22 billion – a 5.2 percent reduction.  The Department is proposing to eliminate the funding for program’s Payments for Federal Property “because these payments compensate [school districts] for lost property tax revenue due to the presence of Federal lands without regard to whether those districts educate any federally connected children as a result of the Federal presence.”
• Career and Technical Education grants would be level funded at $1.12 billion.
• For Race to the Top, the Administration is proposing $1 billion – an increase of $451 million. This $1 billion would be dedicated to a “new College Affordability and Completion competition.”
• For Investing in Innovation (i3), the Administration is proposing $215 million – an increase of $65 million. The increase for i3 would be for education technology research.
• There is also a $415 million proposal for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) innovation that includes a STEM Master Teacher Corps, expansion of math and science partnerships between school districts and colleges, and competitive grants to recruit and train effective STEM teachers for high-need schools.
• Also $300 million is requested for a new “High School Redesign program” to provide students with “challenging and relevant academic and career-related learning experiences that prepare them to transition to postsecondary education and careers.”  This would include programs such as dual enrollment for students.

NSBA will provide more details about the Administration’s FY2014 budget request shortly.

NSBA Advocacy Sessions During Annual Conference
Are you going to the NSBA Annual Conference in San Diego, California – April 13-15?   If so, don’t miss the sessions and events on federal issues and grassroots advocacy – in addition to the Center for Public Education offerings.

Highlights 4-12-13

NSBA Bi-partisan Bill Introduced – Local School Board Governance and Flexibility Act, HR 1386

The NSBA bill to support local school board governance has officially been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The bi-partisan bill,  Local School Board Governance and Flexibility Act, HR 1386, will help reign in the U.S. Department of Education’s authority in the absence of federal legislation and ensure that school boards are involved during the implementation of U.S. Department of Education guidelines.

In January, the NSBA bill was featured at the Federal Relations Network (FRN) conference in Washington, D.C.  We were pleased that Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL), with the urging of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), agreed to be the sponsor of the bill.  In addition to Rep. Aaron Schock, (R-IL), Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL), Ron Kind (D-WI), Pat Meehan (R-PA) and David Valadao (R-CA) are co-sponsors.    Now that the bill has been formally introduced, we urge you to contact your members again to become co-sponsor to this important bill. View the bill that was introduced, recognizing that the official bill – which will include the bill number and co-sponsors –will be officially posted next week.  A special thank you to all of you who reached out to your members of Congress to be original co-sponsors.

Education Funding

Senate Budget Resolution: Please Contact Your Senators Today re: FY 2014 Budget, IDEA and Voucher Amendments

The Senate is continuing debate this afternoon and evening on S. Con. Res. 8, its version of a Fiscal Year 2014 budget resolution sponsored by Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA).  Overall, the measure would stop sequestration. The proposed budget also calls for $100 billion for infrastructure improvements and job creation, including “$20 billion to jump-start repairs and technology infrastructure investments in schools across America that are crumbling or lack critical educational tools like broadband access that are required in the 21st century economy.”  NSBA urges you to contact your senators regarding the proposed budget resolution via the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and urge them to:

1) Vote “yes,” in favor of the underlying measure, S. Con. Res. 8.

2) Vote “yes,” in favor of Amendment No. 262, sponsored by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), which would increase funding for special education.  This amendment calls for increased funding over the next 10 years, through FY 2023, with the offset coming from Race to the Top funding.

3) Vote “no” on Amendment No. 515, sponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Rand Paul (R-KY), which would revamp Title I grants into a choice and voucher program. (Senators Pat Toomey [R-PA], Marco Rubio [R-FL] and Mitch McConnell [R-KY] also co-sponsored the Alexander-Paul proposal.)

4) Vote “no” on Amendment No. 469, sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), which would permit U.S. Department of Education funding to be used for vouchers (“choice-based early education scholarships”) to low income students in K-12.

5) Vote “no” on Amendment No. 290, offered by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), which would allow organizations that grant vouchers to students from low- and middle-income families to attend private schools to receive tax credits.  Thank you for contacting your senators regarding the FY2014 budget, as NSBA is working to champion amendments that are beneficial to elementary and secondary education programs, as well as early education.

House Budget Resolution

On Thursday, March 21 the House of Representatives passed its version of a FY2014 budget resolution, H. Con. Res. 25, largely along party lines by a vote of 221-207.  All of the proposed substitute measures were rejected. The House budget resolution proposes to reduce federal expenditures by $4.6 trillion over the next 10 years. Sponsored by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), the budget suggests streamlining K-12 programs and “recommends that the committees of jurisdiction terminate and reduce programs that are failing to improve student achievement and address the duplication among the 82 programs that are designed to improve teacher quality.”  H. Con. Res. 25 would more than double the cuts of the sequester on education programs.  For FY2014, the House budget would cut non-defense discretionary programs, which includes education, by $55 billion below the sequester level.

Fiscal Year 2013 Appropriations

This week Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund government operations for the remainder of FY2013.  The CR would provide a $33.5 million increase for Head Start and fund other education programs at their FY2012 levels.  Then, the five percent across-the-board cut from the sequester would be applied.  For Impact Aid grants, the budget cut is scheduled to become effective immediately.  The cut to Title I, special education, and other programs would become effective in July for the 2013-14 school year, according to guidance from the U.S. Department of Education.  The Senate approved the measure by a vote of 73 to 26; and, the House approved the measure by a vote of 318-109.

NSBA Facilitates School Board Participation in White House Call on Physical Activity in Schools

NSBA worked with the White House to incorporate the local school board perspective on a  national conference call with First Lady Michelle Obama about the Let’s Move Active Schools Initiative.  Jill Wynns, board member, San Francisco Unified School District, described the school board leadership role in providing opportunities for quality physical activity as a way to improve academic and physical performance, and the importance of local control.  During the Q&A portion of the call, Mark Miller, school board member from Centennial School District in Pennsylvania, articulated the importance of local circumstances, such as budgetary and contractual commitments, on school districts’ ability to incorporate more activity before, during and after school.

NSBA and Nebraska Association of School Boards Collaborate on FCC Oversight Hearing

NSBA collaborated with the Nebraska Association of School Boards to impact a March Oversight Hearing of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the Senate Commerce Committee.   NASB provided data to Committee member Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) on behalf of the E-Rate program to inform her comments & questions to FCC Commissioners. E-Rate is a vital resource for Internet access & 21st Century delivery options such as broadband, for instruction and assessments. It is also chronically underfunded and in need of modernization.

The FCC is expected to issue a major new proposal (NPRM) to modernize the 15 year old program.  Options could include: pushing for additional E-Rate funding, caps on funding for schools, adding and/or deleting eligible uses of funds, and reducing the percentages in the Discount Matrix.  NSBA is lobbying the FCC and members of Congress to assure that changes to E-Rate  meet the needs of school districts.

NSBA Urges the Department of Agriculture to Extend Comment Period for Proposed Competitive Food Standards for Schools

Pointing out that local school districts have been overwhelmed in anticipation of budget cuts due to sequestration, NSBA filed a formal request to the Department of Agriculture to extend the April 9 deadline for comments on proposed competitive food standards.  The standards will apply to all foods sold outside the school meals programs, on the school campus, throughout the school day.  Examples include a la carte lines, school stores, vending machines and fundraisers.

Foods must meet standards for nutrients, grain, fats (saturated, trans, total), sodium, sugar, and calories, among others. No state standard currently aligns to all of the provisions of the proposed rule. Therefore, operations and revenue of virtually every school district participating in school lunch and breakfast programs could be impacted by the new standards.

NSBA continues to lobby for implementation of the child nutrition reauthorization (PL 111-296) that respects local governance, the variation in circumstances among school districts and revenue neutrality to protect the education mission of school districts. Read the NSBA Issue Brief for more information.

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) and Rep. Pat Meehan (R-PA) have issued a Last Call Dear Colleague letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives who wish to be named original co-sponsors of the NSBA bill to support local school board governance and flexibility.  Many of you indicated that your member of Congress might be interested in being an original co-sponsor, and if so, please share the Last Call Dear Colleague letter from Reps. Shock and Meehan as soon as possible.  They plan to formally introduce the bill this week.  Once formally introduced, local school board members will be encouraged to contact their own Representatives during the upcoming recess to be listed among the additional cosponsors of the bill.  NSBA lobbyists continue to meet with congressional staffs in the House and the Senate.

Capitol Hill Update from NSBAC

The National School Boards Action Center (NSBAC) presents the latest on what is happening on Capitol Hill in a 12-minute videocast.  To watch the interview by the Federal Advocacy and Public Policy Office staff go to nsbac.org – and select the video right under NSBAC Videocast.  In addition, you will find the NSBAC Sequestration video – please share them both with your fellow school board members.

Fiscal Year 2013 Continuing Appropriations Act

The U.S. Senate began debate last week on a substitute measure to the House-passed continuing appropriations bill (H.R. 933) that would fund programs for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013.  The substitute measure, co-sponsored by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Committee Vice Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), would increase Head Start funding by $33.5 million. Other education programs would be level funded, consistent with the FY2012 allocations.  The measure also includes provisions for the sequester to be applied to education and other programs, which would be an approximate budget cut of five percent.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) sponsored an amendment to the Mikulski-Shelby measure, which NSBA supported. The Harkin amendment would have increased funding for special education by $125 million, and would have provided a $107 million increase for Title I, a $19 million increase for Impact Aid, and a $20 million increase for the Promise Neighborhoods program.  The Senate, however, rejected this amendment by a vote of 54-45.

NSBA will continue to champion amendments that are favorable to elementary and secondary education programs as the Senate continues debate on H.R. 933 this week.

House and Senate Budget Committee Resolutions for FY2014

The House Budget Committee reported a Fiscal Year 2014 budget resolution by a party-line vote of 22 to 17 this week.  Introduced by Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), the measure proposes to reduce federal expenditures by $4.6 trillion over the next 10 years.  The Ryan budget also states the following, “The current structure for K–12 programs at the Department of Education is fragmented and ineffective. Moreover, many programs are duplicative and poorly targeted to students with the greatest needs. This budget calls for reorganization and streamlining of K–12 programs and anticipates major reforms to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act [ESEA], which was last reauthorized as part of the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB]. The budget also recommends that the committees of jurisdiction terminate and reduce programs that are failing to improve student achievement and address the duplication among the 82 programs that are designed to improve teacher quality.”

A number of amendments was offered regarding schools, which were rejected largely along party lines, including an amendment to stop the sequester by Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).  Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) offered amendments for school modernization and education jobs. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) introduced an amendment that would have increased overall funding for education in FY2014; and, Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) offered an amendment that would have established a reserve fund for rural counties and schools.

The proposed budget resolution is scheduled for debate on the House floor this week.

In the Senate, Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) proposed an FY2014 budget resolution that would replace the sequester with a ten-year, $975 billion deficit reduction plan that calls for budget cuts to some programs and tax reforms.  According to Committee documents, the proposed budget “calls for investments to build our human capital through programs targeting low-income students, such as Title I, and for innovative and effective strategies to reduce achievement gaps and improve student learning in early childhood programs, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. The Senate Budget also funds programs to increase the number of students in science, technology and math and technical education programs so that they are prepared to meet the demands of a 21st century workforce.”

Chairwoman Murray’s plan also proposes $100 billion for infrastructure improvements and job creation.  Reportedly, Senate leaders hope to act on a budget resolution by the Easter recess.  NSBA will work to champion amendments to both the House and Senate budget resolutions that are beneficial to elementary and secondary education programs, as well as early education.

Senate Committee Reports School Safety Bill

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bipartisan bill that would help fund school safety plans, of which NSBA supports.  Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) sponsored S. 146, the ‘‘School and Campus Safety Enhancements Act of 2013,’’ which was reported by a vote of 14-4.

S. 146 would provide $40 million in competitive grants through the U.S. Department of Justice to school districts for uses such as strengthening security plans and installation of surveillance/security equipment.  The bill would also increase the maximum federal share of the costs of a program provided by a grant to 80 percent.

The bill states that grant applications should be accompanied by a report that: (1) is signed by the heads of each law enforcement agency and school district with jurisdiction over the schools where the safety improvements will be implemented; and (2) demonstrates that each proposed use of the grant funds will be an effective means for improving school safety, as well as consistent with a comprehensive approach to preventing school violence and individualized to the needs of each school.

S. 146 would also direct the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Director and the U.S. Secretary of Education to establish an interagency task force to develop and promulgate a set of advisory school safety guidelines.

Highlights 3-18-13

The Office of the Legislative Counsel (House) has cleared the way for NSBA’s bill to support local school boards to be formally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Aaron Schock (IL-R) has agreed to introduce the bill, and other House members are expected to sign on as co-sponsors once the formal bill number has been assigned.  NSBA lobbyists continue to meet with congressional offices in the House and the Senate.  Local school board members are encouraged to follow up with their own congressional members to ensure broad support for the NSBA bill.

NSBA Participates as Member in State & Local Governance Coalition Congressional Briefing on ESEA Reauthorization

On Friday, March 8, the State & Local Governance Coalition conducted a briefing for congressional offices on the urgency to reauthorize ESEA during the First Session of the 113th Congress.  The briefing followed a formal letter sent to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on February 4, 2013 to not only urge Congress to complete the long overdue ESEA reauthorization but also to craft a bipartisan bill.   Panelists included representatives from National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of State Governments, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities and the National School Boards Association.  NSBA raised concerns over the lack of priority for education as a national priority given the 5 year delay in the reauthorization, the costly and ineffective use of funds to implemented mandated sanctions and reforms, the flawed accountability system, and the inaccurate and unfair labeling of our public schools that has eroded public confidence in our schools. NSBA also argued that the long term investment in education was necessary to ensure a full economic recovery, a strong defense and to sustain global competition.  The briefing was well received.  Other members of the Coalition include United States Conference of Mayors, International City/County Managers Associations and the National Association of State Boards of Education.

News from the Center for Public Education

Claims abound that education spending has tripled over the last four decades, but that achievement has been flat.  Claims such as these have been heard across the spectrum from John Stossel to the Center for American Progress.  Patte Barth at NSBA’s Center for Public Education looked at their data and it shows that in fact every student group posted gains over this time period. Read her explanation and data.

Highlights 3-11-13

The Budget Control Act of 2011 is imposing across-the-board cuts of approximately 5 percent to education and other domestic programs in FY2013 through a process called sequestration (the cancellation of budgetary resources), Pursuant to the American Taxpayer Relief Act that was enacted earlier this year, the sequester was ordered on March 1 and slated for implementation on March 27. For fiscal years 2014-2021, the Budget Control Act would reduce budget authority for each year for defense and non-defense programs, meaning that the overall budget allocations for these programs would be lowered.

On February 26, NSBAC held a national press call illustrating the consequences of sequestration on school districts. Listen to the press call. View NSBAC’s press release here.

Here’s what you can do to help:

• Contact your members of Congress and urge them to stop sequestration and protect education funding.
• Share NSBAC’s stop education funding cuts video.
• What else can local school districts do to stop sequestration? View these resources including a sample school board resolution, sequestration Q&A and the facts about sequestration.

Sequestration Update

The sequester is scheduled to become effective today after weeks of gridlock between Congress and the Administration.  According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, the across-the-board budget cuts from sequestration would be around five percent for most programs.

This week, the Administration published data regarding the state-by-state impact that the sequester would have on education and other programs, which is available here.  In addition, the U.S. Department of Education published spreadsheets that detail how the five percent budget cuts would affect each state’s Title I funding and special education (IDEA) grants. The Department also released data showing the estimated loss in Title I funding for the 100 largest districts.  All of the data is available via the following links:

• State-by-State Title I Impact (xls)
• Title I Impact Largest 100 Districts (xls)
• State-by-State IDEA Impact (xls)

On Thursday, February 28, the Senate attempted to begin debate on two alternative measures to sequestration.  However, neither bill received enough votes for cloture so that the Senate could proceed with floor debate.  S. 16, the Republican alternative, received a vote of 38 to 62; and, S. 388, which is the Democratic alternative, received a vote of 51 to 49.  The Democratic alternative would have deferred the sequester until 2014, and the Republican alternative would have given the Administration flexibility over how to implement the sequester.

NSBA President C. Ed Massey spoke to the media about the impact that sequestration would have on district efforts to advance student achievement, along with other educators.  Massey stated that sequestration would affect resources available to students who need the assistance the most “to really make progress in this highly competitive world.”  He also encouraged Congress and the Administration to forge a “resolution that will not allow education to be affected.”  In his remarks, Massey mentioned that both Title I positions and funding for reading coaches would be impacted in his district of Boone County, Kentucky.

NSBA and the National School Boards Action Center (NSBAC) have been involved in Capitol Hill and White House meetings and has conducted a number of press conference calls with the media to convey the impact that the sequester would have on school districts and their capacity to advance student achievement.  Currently, NSBA has compiled 725+ local school board resolutions regarding sequestration and will continue to voice opposition to Congress and the Administration about the across-the-board budget cuts.

Thank you for responding to our quick poll on the impact of sequestration on school district employment  – NSBA received 200+ responses.  The majority of respondents to the poll indicated that their districts are anticipating up to 10 staff reductions; and, the remaining responses indicated even more layoffs. While the budget cuts are slated to affect districts during the 2013-14 school year, districts that receive Impact Aid funding will experience immediate budget cuts.  (The Impact Aid  program provides financial assistance to school districts affected by federal activities, such as military bases or Indian lands within their boundaries.)

For more details about the sequester, please visit www.nsba.org/stopsequestration.  Updates, a video on sequestration that you can share, a Capitol Hill videocast, press releases and the NSBAC national press call held this week can be accessed at the National School Boards Action Center website at nsbac.org.

NSBA Lobbyists Continue to Seek Sponsors for NSBA Bill

NSBA lobbyists continued their efforts on Capitol Hill to seek sponsors for the NSBA bill in support of local governance.  NSBA lobbyists followed up with Congressional offices identified by FRN participants during the FRN conference on January 29.  Additionally, many of the NSBA Board of Directors and state association officials followed up with members of Congress during last week’s Congressional recess in the local offices.  Local school board members are encouraged to continue their efforts to ensure both Republican and Democratic sponsors.

School Safety Hearing

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing this week on school safety, exploring ways school leaders and local officials can help students feel more secure in the classroom.

“This hearing is about learning what goes into protecting our schools and preventing violence,” said Chairman John Kline (R-MN). “This is about ways we can work together to help students feel safe.”

During the hearing, school leaders stressed the importance of building strong relationships between students, teachers, principals, community leaders, and local safety officials.  According to one witness, “The most effective way to prevent acts of violence targeted at schools is by building trusting relationships with students and others in the community so that threats come to light and can be investigated as appropriate.

“The solution is a matter of school culture. It’s a matter of community engagement. It’s a matter of public health,” Bill Bond stated, who is a former principal of Heath High School in Paducah, KY.  “The real solution is multifaceted and complex, but as each act of violence on a school reminds us, it is work we must undertake.”

Other testimony stressed the importance of school emergency plans that focus on the four phases of emergency management: mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

NSBA provided background information to Committee staff in preparation for the hearing, based on survey data recently conducted.  Overall, the survey responses indicated that schools have safety plans and drills in place and that there is some level of coordination with local first response agencies. However, the level of preparedness varies. Several respondents stated that there is some level of parental involvement in safety drills and that there are state laws that apply to school safety and preparedness.

Highlights 3-1-13