The Biden administration’s FY 2023 budget request, released March 28, includes $88.3 billion in discretionary spending for the Department of Education, an $11.9 billion increase over the FY 2022 enacted amount of $76.4 billion.
The request lays down a marker for the administration as Congress begins discussing federal funding levels for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. It does not reflect final funding figures.
“This proposal reflects the Biden-Harris 91心頭istration’s deep belief in the importance of education and the success and wellbeing of our nation’s students,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in a statement. “It’s my hope that Congress answers the President’s call for continued investments that help our schools hire and support more teachers, school counselors, and other personnel who can nurture the social, emotional, and academic development and mental well-being of our children and youth in this critical time and beyond.”
The proposal calls for a total of $36.5 billion for Title I, Part A, more than doubling the amount provided for Title I, Part A in FY 2022. The administration also requested the increase for Title I in FY 2022 over FY 2021 figures, but Congress provided a $1 billion bump for Title I, Part A in FY 2022.
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“This substantial new support for the program, which serves 25 million students in nearly 90 percent of school districts across the nation, would be a major step toward fulfilling the president’s commitment to addressing long-standing funding disparities between under-resourced schools — which disproportionately serve students of color — and their wealthier counterparts,” according to the FY 2023 budget request.
The administration also calls for increases to IDEA funding, including $16.3 billion for IDEA Part B, a $3 billion increase over FY 2022 enacted levels, and $932 million for IDEA Part C, $436 million more than FY 2022 enacted levels.
Biden’s FY 2023 budget request also includes a $1 billion program to fund school counselors and mental health professionals. The administration proposed the same funding level in FY 2022, but the final appropriations legislation did not include the funding.
Congress has not yet introduced FY 2023 funding legislation.
Charles Hendrix covers education funding and other Title I issues for LRP Publications.
