GOP Plan Would Give States More Spending Flexibility

By Erik W. Robelen

The chairman of the House education committee released a proposal late last week that would allow states and school districts to transfer money between several big-ticket programs contained in the main federal K-12 law.

That idea is sure to spark controversy with Democrats when committee members convene this week to take up the final piece of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization. The pending legislation, HR 4141, is one in a series of ESEA bills the House has dealt with since last year. It would authorize $2.4 billion in federal spending, including safe-schools and technology programs.

"I continue to believe that state and local educational agencies, along with parents, are in a better position than we are in Washington to determine how best to use federal funds to help students improve their academic achievement," Rep. Bill Goodling, R-Pa., the chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, said...