Federal Budget

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Education Funding ESSER Isn't the Only School Funding Relief That's Disappearing Soon
Federal relief aid, policies to prevent schools from losing enrollment-based funding, and support for vulnerable families are expiring soon.
Mark Lieberman & Lauraine Langreo, February 13, 2024
10 min read
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Budget & Finance Most Districts Say They Don't Need More Time to Spend ESSER Dollars
Only 13 percent of districts surveyed by ASBO International said they plan to seek approval to spend the federal aid past the deadline.
Mark Lieberman, February 1, 2024
2 min read
Billy Lopez and Indica Beckham read together during kindergarten class at Fairview Elementary in Carthage, Mo., on Nov. 26, 2018. The Carthage School District, along with three other Missouri districts, is participating in a $2.6 million five-year grant project that seeks to bolster its English Language Learners program. The grant will provide ELL training to teachers in the Carthage, Kansas City Public, Bayless and Columbia school districts.
Billy Lopez and Indica Beckham read together during kindergarten class at Fairview Elementary in Carthage, Mo., on Nov. 26, 2018. The Carthage School District, along with three other Missouri districts, is participating in a $2.6 million five-year grant project that seeks to bolster its English Language Learners program.
Roger Nomer/The Joplin Globe via AP
English-Language Learners Federal Funding for English Learners Has a New Home. What Do Educators Hope This Means?
$890 million in Title III grants moved to the federal office of English language acquisition in December.
Ileana Najarro, January 30, 2024
4 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education, Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington. A new federal rule threatens to cut federal money to college programs that consistently leave graduates with low pay or unaffordable debt. The gainful employment rule finalized by the Biden administration on Wednesday applies mostly to for-profit colleges, along with certificate programs at traditional universities.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education, Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington. Cardona requested that the management of English-learner federal aid return to the office of English language acquisition earlier this year.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
English-Language Learners $890 Million in English-Learner Aid Is Under New Management. Why Researchers Are Hopeful
The office of English language acquisition will once again manage Title III formula grant funds.
Ileana Najarro, December 19, 2023
4 min read
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Education Funding Here's How the Feds Are Spending $277M for Academic Recovery
A new round of grants from the Education Department aims to spur innovation in academic recovery, with initiatives in math, reading, and AI.
Libby Stanford, December 5, 2023
4 min read
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Budget & Finance From Our Research Center When ESSER Funds Are Gone, Here's Where Districts May Turn to Fill Gaps
Districts will look to a range of funding sources to cover the services they've paid for in recent years with a surge of federal money.
Mark Lieberman, December 5, 2023
4 min read
Multi-ethnic preschool boys playing with blocks.
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Student Well-Being How Districts Can Keep After-School and Summer Learning Alive After ESSER Dries Up
Roughly 8 in 10 school districts spent some of their federal COVID relief funds on after-school or summer learning.
Alyson Klein, December 4, 2023
4 min read
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Federal Will the Government Actually Shut Down This Time? What Educators Should Know
The federal government is once again on the verge of shutting down. Here's why educators should care, but shouldn't necessarily worry.
Mark Lieberman, November 13, 2023
1 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington. In an interview with Education Week, Cardona said "there hasn’t been another president in our lifetime that has spoken so much on providing dollars for education but also having education be central to the growth of this country."
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Federal Q&A Miguel Cardona: There's No 'Magic Strategy' to Help Students Get Back on Track
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he's focused on supporting schools on work they're already doing to help students achieve.
Libby Stanford, October 19, 2023
8 min read
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is surrounded by reporters looking for updates on plans to fund the government and avert a shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 22, 2023.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is surrounded by reporters looking for updates on plans to fund the government and avert a shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 22, 2023.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Education Funding The Federal Government Might Shut Down (Yes, Again). Here's What Schools Need to Know
At first, most districts can expect business as usual if the federal government shuts down. But some districts risk losing funding soon.
Mark Lieberman, September 26, 2023
5 min read
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Budget & Finance District Leaders Want More Time to Spend ESSER Funds—and More Money, Too
On Capitol Hill, superintendents pointed to big wins fueled by federal relief aid, from extended learning time to mental health support.
Mark Lieberman, September 21, 2023
4 min read
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Budget & Finance How Much Money Do Public Schools Get? The Latest Numbers
America collectively spent more than $800 billion on K-12 education in 2021, according to newly available federal data.
Mark Lieberman, June 8, 2023
1 min read
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks with reporters on the debt limit as he walks, Tuesday, May 30, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks with reporters on the debt limit in Washington on May 30, 2023.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Education Funding Congress Prepares to Raise the Debt Ceiling. But K-12 Funding Is Still in Jeopardy
Federal spending limits in exchange for raising the debt ceiling could lead to cuts for key K-12 funding like Title I and IDEA.
Mark Lieberman, May 31, 2023
3 min read
A man standing on the edge of a one dollar bill that is folded downward to look like a funding cliff.
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Education Funding Which Districts Are Most at Risk If America Breaches the Debt Ceiling?
Thousands of districts depend on the federal government for more than 10 percent of their revenue.
3 min read