Education Money Focus of Budget Quagmire

By Erik W. Robelen

Washington

Patience. That's what anybody wondering how much the federal government will pony up for education next school year is going to need.

Congress is at a standstill over the Department of Education's budget—and funding levels for many other agencies. Lawmakers likely won't complete work on appropriations until after the midterm elections next month. Some have even begun to suggest that Congress might not finish the budget for fiscal 2003— which began Oct. 1—until early next year.

The House and the Senate last week approved a second "continuing resolution" to keep the government...