March 30, 2022
In the recently passed omnibus appropriations bill that funds the federal government through September 30 of this year, IEL celebrates key historic increases for federal programs aligned with our Policy by the People agenda to advance equity and opportunity in education and workforce development.
Specifically, we applaud the $45 million increase for the Full-Service Community Schools program, funded at $75 million, the highest it has ever been funded and a 150% increase over last year’s level of $30 million. This increase will enable dozens more communities to implement this effective strategy with federal support.
“This historic investment will catalyze important growth for the Community Schools movement. Community Schools are a proven approach for the federal government to incentivize the building of stronger partnerships for more efficient and effective hyper-local decision-making,” said Director of the Coalition for Community Schools Jose Munoz.
Similarly, we are pleased to see a focus on equity through increases to several programs to support low-income students, families, and communities, including:
- A $1 billion increase to Title I-A funds to support low-income students, the largest increase in over a decade, to total $17.5 billion
- A $406 million increase to IDEA state grants to support special education, totaling $13.3. billion
- A $30 million increase for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) to fund afterschool and summer learning opportunities
- A $40 million increase for federal TRIO programs to total $1.14 billion and a $10 million increase for GEAR UP to total $378 million to help prepare high school students for college
- A $12 million increase for Youth programs for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I programs for career exploration and preparation
The omnibus also includes some new innovative funding to advance equity, including:
- $15 million for Career Pathways for Youth grants to expand job training and workforce pathways for youth and disconnected youth
- An $8 million competitive grant for postsecondary institutions to assist students with access to basic needs
- A new $5 million Postsecondary Student Success grant, and a $20 million Rural Postsecondary Economic Development Grant
On the heels of this overdue FY 2022 appropriations bill came President Biden’s FY 2023 budget request this week. IEL sees much to support in this budget request to continue the necessary focus on supporting the children, families, and communities who have been hardest hit by the ongoing pandemic and to continue to work toward economic, social, racial, and disability justice.
Specifically, we are pleased to see the following proposed increases aligned with our Policy by the People agenda:
Education:
- $468 million for Full-Service Community Schools, which would be a $393 million increase over FY 2022 spending
- $36.5 billion for Title I, which more than doubles the program’s funding compared to the 2021 enacted level
- $1 billion investment to increase the number of counselors, nurses, school psychologists, social workers, and other health professionals in schools
- An additional $3.3 billion from the 2021 enacted level—the largest two-year increase ever—for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants to States
- $1.1 billion for the English Language Acquisition (ELA) program, an increase of $278 million, or 35 percent, from the 2021 enacted level
- $1.3 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- $514 million for the Education Innovation and Research program, $350 million of which the Department would target toward identifying and scaling models that improve recruitment and retention of staff in education.
- Doubling of the maximum Pell Grant by 2029, beginning with a historic $2,175 increase for the 2023-2024 school year compared to the 2021-2022 school year, expanding access and reaching nearly 6.7 million students.
- $15 million for Statewide Family Engagement Centers
- An increase of $752 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Community Colleges.
- $161 million to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, an 18-percent increase compared to the 2021 enacted level
Workforce Development:
- $120 million for youth mentoring
- $200 million for a new Career-Connected High Schools Initiative
- $75 million for a new National Youth Employment Program, which would create high-quality summer and year-round job opportunities for underserved youth.
- $15 million to test new ways to enable low-income youth with disabilities to successfully transition to employment.
Foundational Supports:
- $308 million, an increase of $163 million above FY 2022 enacted, for Project AWARE and the Mental Health Awareness Training program to increase access to youth mental health services.
- Nearly $2 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) to construct and rehabilitate affordable rental housing and provide homeownership opportunities. If enacted, this would be the highest funding level for HOME in nearly 15 years.
“We take this moment to celebrate these funding wins to advance equity and opportunity in communities across the country and will use this progress as momentum for our advocacy for the 2023 federal budget,” states IEL President Eddie Koen. “We are excited to advocate with the leaders across our networks for these federal investments to accelerate the transformative work they are doing every day in their communities.”
We look forward to working with the Administration, Congress, relevant federal agencies, and our national, state, and local partners to enact these funding proposals for FY 2023. Please help us advocate by contacting your members of Congress and urging them to support these funding increases.