Congressional conferees last week approved a tentative Department of Education budget for fiscal 2004, which began Oct. 1, as part of an omnibus appropriations bill that calls for $328.1 billion in government spending on discretionary programs in 11 federal departments and several other agencies. The appropriations measure still must be approved by the full House and Senate before it can go to President Bush. Here are highlights of the spending plans for selected programs:
Program | Final 2003 | Proposed 2004 |
| Title I | $11.7 billion | $12.4 billion |
| Vocational education | 1.3 billion | 1.3 billion |
| Special education grants | 8.9 billion | 10.1 billion |
| Rural education | 167.6 million | 168.8 million |
| Pell Grants* | 11.3 billion | 12.1 billion |
| Charter school grants | 199 million | 220 million |
| 21st Century Community Learning Centers | 993 million | 1 billion |
| Reading First state grants | 993 million | 1 billion |
| Total Department of Education discretionary funding | $53.1 billion | $56 billion |
*Maximum award would remain at $4,050 per student.
SOURCE: House Appropriations Committee
