Education Funding

School Fiscal Concerns Haunt Electoral Landscape

By Alyson Klein & Sean Cavanagh — October 26, 2010 3 min read
Roy Barnes, the Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia, departs on a campaign tour via school bus in Marietta. The former governor is squaring off against former GOP congressman Nathan Deal and Libertarian John Monds.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Money for schools—how to spend it, or make do without it—has emerged as a major issue in federal and state elections this fall, with voters going to the polls Nov. 2 in contests that could bring new party majorities to Congress and to many state capitals.

State governments have seen a major infusion of federal dollars in recent years, most notably through some $100 billion in education-related funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009 and in this year’s Education Jobs Fund, which provided $10 billion to save school employees’ positions.

That flow of federal cash includes the Race to the Top competition, which awarded $4 billion in grants to 11 states and the District of Columbia and prompted many states to adopt laws and policies on charter schools, data systems, and teacher evaluation, among other areas.

But such spending has also drawn opposition from conservative state candidates who describe it both as wasteful and as a federal encroachment into state and local authority over public education. And lawmakers in Congress are also wondering what impact rising national concern over federal spending will have on the government’s financial support for states and local school districts. A number of GOP contenders, in particular, are running on a platform of increased state and local control in K-12 schools.

Policy, Finances Dominate Debate

School funding and the federal footprint in state and local K-12 policy have emerged as major themes in this year’s tumultuous midterm campaigns.

Across the country, those vying for governorships, seats in Congress, and the helms of state education agencies are being forced to confront such issues amid continued fiscal anxiety and a heated national debate over the proper role of government.

At the same time, voters going to the polls Nov. 2 will face a variety of state ballot measures with far-ranging implications for education policy and finance.

For a look at education-related issues in this year’s elections and at individual contests to watch on election night see our special coverage of Election 2010.

Such views “feed into the broader theme of coercive government mandates” raised by many Republican candidates, who are attacking Democrats for passing the stimulus and recent health-care legislation, said Patrick McGuinn, a professor of political science and education at Drew University, in Madison, N.J.

GOP candidates are “making this broader point that government is just becoming more intrusive” through policies like Race to the Top, with President Barack Obama “telling states what to do,” Mr. McGuinn said.

Many analysts expect next week’s election will produce a significantly increased Republican presence in Congress, with the possibility that one or both chambers could flip to GOP control. Either outcome could have major implications for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which has been pending since 2007.

While GOP lawmakers and the administration often see eye-to-eye on performance pay and charter schools, they could clash on school choice, tutoring services, and an Obama administration proposal to tie some federal formula grants to states’ adoption of college- and career-ready standards.

A GOP congressional victory could also complicate the administration’s task of extending its signature K-12 initiatives—including Race to the Top and the $650 million Investing in Innovation program, which rewards promising practices for districts and nonprofit groups.

Investment-Worthy?

The dire condition of state budgets has also emerged as a major education issue in many state-level campaigns for governor and state schools superintendent.

At least 46 states faced shortfalls when adopting budgets for fiscal 2011, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit Washington research group. Elected officials have traditionally sought to guard schools against the budget axe, but this year states and schools report having eliminated programs and jobs. New governors and schools chiefs will come into office amid continued bleak financial conditions, many school-finance experts say.

The economic climate has made it difficult for gubernatorial candidates to propose ambitious new education policies, said Dane Linn, the director of the education division at the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices. Candidates are re-examining whether existing programs “are worthy of the investment,” he said.

Nonetheless, many state candidates have supported efforts in early-childhood education, college access and completion, and evaluating and paying teachers differently, he said.

“Governors understand you can’t attract the jobs unless you have a qualified workforce,” said Mr. Linn, and school and college programs are a part of that.

A version of this article appeared in the October 27, 2010 edition of Education Week as Fiscal Woes Haunt Races

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding Biden's Budget Proposes Smaller Bump to Education Spending
The president requested increases to Title I and IDEA, and funding to expand preschool access in his 2025 budget proposal.
7 min read
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on lowering prices for American families during an event at the YMCA Allard Center on March 11, 2024, in Goffstown, N.H.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on lowering prices for American families during an event at the YMCA Allard Center on March 11, 2024, in Goffstown, N.H. Biden's administration released its 2025 budget proposal, which includes a modest spending increase for the Education Department.
Evan Vucci/AP
Education Funding States Are Pulling Back on K-12 Spending. How Hard Will Schools Get Hit?
Some states are trimming education investments as financial forecasts suggest boom times may be over.
6 min read
Collage illustration of California state house and U.S. currency background.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
Education Funding Using AI to Guide School Funding: 4 Takeaways
One state is using AI to help guide school funding decisions. Will others follow?
5 min read
 Illustration of a robot hand drawing a graph line leading to budget and finalcial spending.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding A State Uses AI to Determine School Funding. Is This the Future or a Cautionary Tale?
Nevada reworked its funding formula hoping to target extra aid to students most in need. What happened could hold lessons for other states.
13 min read
Illustration of robotic hand putting coins into jar.
iStock / Getty Images Plus