K-12 Education Programs: Appropriations Summary

K-12 Education Programs: Appropriations Summary

Order Code RS21947
Updated February 14, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
K-12 Education Programs:
Appropriations Summary
Paul M. Irwin
Specialist in Social Legislation
Domestic Social Policy Division
Summary
Questions continue to be asked about federal appropriations for K-12 education,
including total elementary and secondary funding, recent increases, and the major
components counted in the K-12 total. K-12 components include: the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001 (NCLBA), P.L. 107-110; the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA); the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998; and the
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). For ESEA and IDEA, issues
extend to how much was “promised,” how much was provided, and the “shortfall.” This
report describes these amounts; it will be updated as appropriations are enacted.
Key Components and Tables
Most K-12 education programs are authorized under four acts, including:
! Programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (ESEA);
! Special education programs authorized by the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);
! Vocational education programs authorized by Carl D. Perkins Vocational
and Technical Education Act of 1998; and
! Adult education programs authorized by the Adult Education and Family
Literacy Act (AEFLA).
Four tables summarize recent appropriations for K-12 education programs:
! Table 1: Total K-12 Education Appropriations Since FY2000;
! Table 2: K-12 Education Appropriations by Major Component;
! Table 3: ESEA Appropriations by Major Component; and
! Table 4: Comparison of ESEA Authorizations and Appropriations.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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Table 1. Total K-12 Education Appropriations Since FY2000
(dollars in billions)
FY
President’s request
Appropriation
2000
$22.3
$23.1
2001
26.4
27.9
2002
29.3
32.7
2003
33.7
35.7
2004
34.9
37.6
2005
38.7
38.1
2006
37.8
not yet enacted
Source: Department of Education Budget Service table of Feb. 7, 2005. The FY2005 appropriation
reflects the 0.80% reduction required of many FY2005 discretionary appropriations.
Table 1 shows the aggregate funding for K-12 education programs since FY2000.
Both the budget request and the appropriations enacted increase annually, with one
exception; the FY2006 request is for less than the FY2005 request. Federal K-12
education programs include those authorized by ESEA, as well as several non-ESEA
programs such as special, vocational, and adult education. The Department of Education
(ED) administers these programs.
Table 2. K-12 Education Appropriations by Major Component
(dollars in millions)
Appropriation year
FY2006
Major component
FY2001
FY2002
FY2003
FY2004
FY2005
request
ESEA programs
$18,442
$21,954
$23,610
$24,295
$24,352
$25,327
Special education
7,440
8,673
9,957
11,161
11,674
12,126
Vocational education
1,243
1,321
1,326
1,328
1,326
0
Adult education
561
591
587
590
585
216
Other K-12 programs
197
158
244
184
205
178
Total K-12 funding
$27,883
$32,697
$35,724
$37,558
$38,142
$37,847
Source: ED Budget Service tables: for FY2001, Jan. 3, 2002; for FY2002, Feb. 20, 2003; for FY2003,
Aug. 27, 2004; for FY2004, Dec. 9, 2004, and for FY2005 and the FY2006 request, Feb. 7, 2005. FY2005
funding reflects the required 0.80% reductions.
Table 2 shows the funding for major components of K-12 education since FY2001,
which was the last full year of funding for ESEA programs before they were amended by
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, P.L. 107-110, enacted January 8, 2002. The table
shows that ESEA programs receive the majority of K-12 education funds. For example,
ESEA programs are funded at $24.4 billion in FY2005, or 64% of the total K-12

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appropriation of $38.1 billion. Significant amounts also are appropriated for non-ESEA
programs, such as $11.7 billion for special education programs authorized under IDEA
for FY2005. Additional funds are allocated for vocational and adult education programs.
A few K-12 programs, such as education for homeless children and youth, receive funding
as well. Appropriations have increased for each year shown for both ESEA and special
education programs, and for K-12 funding in the aggregate. Under the FY2006 request,
funding for ESEA and special education would be increased; vocational education would
be eliminated; and adult education and the total for K-12 would be reduced.
Table 3. ESEA Appropriations by Major Component
(dollars in millions)
Appropriation year
FY2006
Major component
FY2001 FY2002 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 request
Title I, Part A Grants to LEAs
$8,763 $10,350 $11,689 $12,342 $12,740 $13,342
Reading First State Grants
0
900
994
1,024
1,042
1,042
Impact Aid
993
1,144
1,188
1,230
1,244
1,241
Teacher Quality State Grants
0
2,850
2,931
2,930
2,917
2,917
Education Technology State
0
701
696
692
496
0
Grants
21st Century Community
846
1,000
999
999
991
991
Learning Centers (21CCLC)
Innovative Programs State
385
385
382
297
198
100
Grants (Education Block Grant)
State Assessments
0
387
384
390
412
412
Rural Education
0
163
168
168
171
171
Fund for the Improvement of
717
833
810
770
675
1,976
Education (FIE)
Safe and Drug-Free Schools
439
472
469
441
437
0
State Grants
English Language Acquisition
296
664
684
681
676
676
Other ESEA programs
6,003
2,105
2,216
2,331
2,353
2,459
ESEA total $18,442 $21,954 $23,610 $24,295 $24,352 $25,327
Source: ED Budget Service tables: for FY2001, Jan. 3, 2002; for FY2002, Feb. 20, 2003; for FY2003,
Aug. 27, 2004; for FY2004, Dec. 9, 2004; and for FY2005 and the FY2006 request, Feb. 7, 2005. FY2005
funding reflects required 0.80% reductions. LEAs = Local Educational Agencies.
Table 3 shows the appropriations for 12 of the ESEA programs with the highest
funding levels since FY2001. It shows that approximately 50% of all ESEA
appropriations are allocated to the Title I, Part A Grants to local educational agencies
(LEAs) program for the education of disadvantaged children, which is funded at $12.7
billion in FY2005. Also in FY2005, Reading First State Grants, Impact Aid, and Teacher
Quality State Grants are each funded at more than $1 billion; the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers (21CCLC) program is funded at just under $1 billion. Most programs

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shown in this table require appropriated funds to be distributed by formula. Most of the
remaining ESEA programs — shown as “Other ESEA programs” in the table — require
the distribution of funds by discretionary grants through competition among eligible
applicants. A few ESEA programs specify the distribution of funds to a single recipient.
Table 4. Comparison of Authorizations Specified
by ESEA and Appropriations
(dollars in millions)
FY2006 Programs, with
Difference:
Authorization
Request
Appropriation
ESEA section reference
App - Req.
Title I, Part A Grants to LEAs,
$22,750
$13,342
NA
-$9,408
§1002
21CCLC, §4206
2,250
991
NA
-1,259
Education Block Grant, §5146
550
100
NA
-450
Voluntary Public School
100
27
NA
-73
Choice, §5248
FIE, §5401
650
1,976
NA
+1,326
FY2006 specified total
$26,300
$16,436
NA
$9,864
Difference:
FY2005 Programs
Authorization
Request
Appropriation
App - Auth
Title I, Part A Grants to LEAs
$20,500
$13,342
$12,740
-$7,760
21CCLC
2,000
999
991
-1,009
Education Block Grant
525
297
198
-327
School Choice
100
27
27
-73
FIE
625
264
675
+50
FY2005 specified total
$23,750
$14,929
$14,631
-$9,119
Difference:
FY2004 Programs
Authorization
Request
Appropriation
App - Auth
Title I, Part A Grants to LEAs
$18,500
$12,350
$12,342
-$6,158
21CCLC
1,750
600
999
-751
Education Block Grant
500
385
297
-203
School Choice
100
25
27
-73
FIE
600
169
770
+170
FY2004 specified total
$21,450
$13,529
$14,435
-$7,015

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Difference:
FY2003 Programs
Authorization
Request
Appropriation
App - Auth
Title I, Part A Grants to LEAs
$16,000
$11,353
$11,689
-$4,311
21CCLC
1,500
1,000
994
-506
Education Block Grant
475
385
382
-93
School Choice
100
25
26
-74
FIE
575
134
810
+235
FY2003 specified total
$18,650
$12,897
$13,901
-$4,749
Difference:
FY2002 Programs
Authorization
Request
Appropriation
App - Auth
Title I, Part A Grants to LEAs
$13,500
$9,061
$10,350
-$3,150
21CCLC
1,250
846
1,000
-250
Education Block Grant
450
472
385
-65
School Choice
100
0
25
-75
FIE
550
25
833
+283
Five program subtotal
15,850
10,404
12,593
-3,257
24 other specified programs
10,497
6,977
7,410
-3,087
FY2002 specified total
$26,347
$17,381
$20,003
-$6,344
Source: ED Budget Service tables of Jan. 3, 2002, Feb. 20, 2003, Jan. 28, 2004, Aug. 27, 2004, Dec. 9,
2004, and Feb. 7, 2005. FY2002 authorizations and appropriations are based on CRS Report RL32244,
K-12 Education Funding: Authorizations and Appropriations for FY2002. Authorization levels for all
years are based on ESEA, as amended by NCLBA. FY2005 funding reflects the required 0.80% reductions.
NA = not available.
Table 4 shows the annual funding amounts authorized, requested, and appropriated
for those programs with specified authorizations of appropriations under ESEA, as
amended by NCLBA. All together, the ESEA includes provisions for 45 program
authorizations for the six-year period FY2002-FY2007, as follows.
! Five of the 45 ESEA programs have specific amounts authorized to be
appropriated for all six fiscal years; these programs are highlighted in
Table 4.
! Another 24 programs have specific amounts authorized only for FY2002;
funding for these programs is given in aggregate only in the FY2002
segment of Table 4. For FY2003 through FY2007, such sums as may be
necessary are authorized for these programs.
! The remaining 16 ESEA programs have no specific amount authorized;
that is, such sums as may be necessary are authorized for each program
for each year during the period FY2002 through FY2007. Table 4 does
not include any funding information for these programs.
Many recent authorizations of education programs have not specified exact authorization
levels, especially for the years following the first year of authorization or reauthorization.
Instead, such sums as may be necessary are authorized to be appropriated. Authorization

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provisions for each of the 45 ESEA programs are listed in CRS Report RL31244, K-12
Education Funding: Authorizations and Appropriations for FY2002.
Table 4 shows that the President’s budget request is less than the authorized amount
for each program for each year with two exceptions: the FY2002 Education Block Grant
and the FY2006 FIE. Also for each year, the appropriation is less than the authorized
amount, with the exception of FIE appropriations, which are higher than the authorized
amount in each year. The FIE is a single authorization that includes 20 specific activities,
as well as more general activities related to the improvement of K-12 education. For
instance, appropriations are provided for general FIE activities and 17 separately specified
activities within FIE in FY2005 (Table 4 shows FIE funding only in the aggregate).
ESEA Funding Shortfall? Since the enactment of NCLBA in 2002, there has
been a continuing discussion regarding the appropriations “promised” and the resulting
“shortfall” when the enacted appropriations are compared to authorization levels. Some
would contend that the ESEA authorizations of appropriations, as amended by NCLBA,
represent a funding commitment that was promised in return for legislative support for
the new administrative requirements made of state and local educational systems. They
would contend that the authorized levels are needed for implementing the new
requirements, and that the differences between promised and actual funding levels, as
shown in Table 4, represent a shortfall of billions of dollars — $9.1 billion for FY2005.
Others would contend that the authorized funding levels represent no more than
appropriations ceilings, and as such are no different from authorizations for most
education programs. That is, when the authorization amount is specified, it represents
only a maximum amount, with the actual funding level to be determined during the
regular annual appropriations process. In the past, education programs with specified
levels of authorization generally have been funded at lower levels; few have been funded
at levels equal to or higher than the specified authorization amount.
IDEA Funding Shortfall? From 1975 to 2004, the IDEA Part B Grants to States
program authorized state payments up to a maximum amount of 40% of the national
average per-pupil expenditure (APPE) times the number of children with disabilities ages
3 and above that each state serves. Appropriations have never been sufficient to reach the
40% level. In 2004, the Congress addressed the authorization issue in P.L. 108-446,
which specified authorization ceilings for Part B Grants to States for FY2005 through
FY2011. The Part B Grants to States authorization is $12,358,376,571 for FY2005 and
$14,648,647,143 for FY2006. The FY2005 appropriation is $10,589,746,000, or
$1,768,630,571 less than the authorization. The FY2006 budget request is
$11,097,746,000, or $3,550,901,143 less than the authorization. As with ESEA, some
view these differences as funding shortfalls, while others see the maximum federal share
and the specified authorizations as nothing more than appropriation ceilings. For
additional information, please see CRS Report RL32085, Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA): Current Funding Trends.