Education Advocates Anxious Amid Budget Uncertainty

With the threat of a federal government shutdown looming—and education advocates anxious about the prospect of further federal aid cuts—congressional lawmakers last week wrangled over a bill to finance the federal government through the end of September.

The current stopgap spending measure expires April 8, and with lawmakers and the administration negotiating behind closed doors, it was unclear how—or even whether—the two sides would be able to come together on a longer-term bill before that deadline.

“We’re going to continue to fight for the largest spending cuts that we can get,” Rep. John A. Boehner, R-Ohio,...