Educators Upset Over Bush's Budget

President sends mixed message by increasing library aid, slashing education funds

By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 3/1/2005

Although President George W. Bush plans to eliminate 48 education programs in FY 2006, he's calling for a $221.3 million increase for library programs, a $15.4 million hike from last year.

What's the rationale for this mixed message? "He and his advisors recognize the positive impact that libraries have on lifelong learning, from early childhood education and after-school programs to programs for seniors," says Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association's (ALA) Washington office.

Officially, the administration plans to cut $500 million, or 0.9 percent, next year from its $56 billion education budget because it says the programs are either duplicative, have achieved their original purpose, or involve activities that should be paid for by state, local, or private funds. Whatever the reason, the move has greatly disappointed educators who've been trying to meet the rigorous standards of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) without adequate funding. "This is a time for the federal government to invest more in children, rather than less," says Daniel Kaufman, spokesman for the National Education Association, adding that the president is proposing the first cuts to education in a decade.

Some 10,991 K–12 schools across the country in 2004 failed to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years, as called for under NCLB, up from 6,256 in 2003. "The message is clear," Kaufman says. "They're saying 'We're requiring 100 percent accountability on your part without providing the resources to get it done.'"

At the same time, Bush has requested $19.6 million in FY 2006 for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grants, the same level he proposed last year. The program funds library materials and professional development for media specialists.

"We're disappointed that in this time of an increased emphasis on reading and literacy, the one institution within the education system that consistently delivers student achievement—the school library—did not get increased funding," Sheketoff says.

Both the House and the Senate have until October 1 to pass their FY 2006 budget, but it's unlikely that they'll accept all of Bush's proposals. "It will be difficult to put a lot of this money back into education, but they won't let all 48 programs die," says Josh Farrelman, ALA's assistant director for the Office of Government Relations.