The House of Representatives approved a fiscal 2006 spending bill last week for the departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, which includes some key education-related programs under the Justice Department and the National Science Foundation.
Under the bill, approved Nov. 9 on a vote of 397-19, the NSF would receive $5.6 billion, a 3.3 percent increase over fiscal 2005. That includes $64 million for the Math and Science Partnership, a system of professional development and resources for teachers of those subjects. Lawmakers directed the NSF to use some of that money to start a pilot program aimed at increasing the pool of K-8 students pursuing math, science, technology, and engineering careers.
In the Justice Department’s appropriation, the bill includes $5 million for juvenile-mentoring programs; $80 million for delinquency prevention; and $15 million for the Secure Our Schools program, which provides security equipment to schools.
Both the House and the Senate have passed the appropriations bill that includes funding for the Department of Education. That measure is awaiting the outcome of a conference committee, which is likely to meet this week.
