The director of the Office of Management and Budget, David A. Stockman, last week told Republican Congressional leaders that the Administration plans to seek $6.746 billion for elementary- and secondary-education programs, according to sources familiar with the Congressional briefing.
That figure represents an increase of about 4 percent ($316 million) over the amount appropriated by the Congress for those programs for the current fiscal year.
Budget officials said, however, that not all elementary and secondary programs will be increased 4 percent. They said the Administration will seek a “substantial” increase in funds for Chapter 2, which funds block grants to the states and the Secretary’s discretionary fund, while other elementary and secondary programs may not be in-creased. The Congress appropriated $479 million for Chapter 2 in fiscal 1984.
The Administration is estimating that inflation will raise the cost of the programs by 4.5 to 5 percent in fiscal 1985.
Education will apparently be spared from $9 billion in cuts in domestic programs that the Congressional sources say the Administration will propose.
Those cuts reportedly will be made in federal entitlement programs, such as unemployment benefits and Medicaid.
The Administration projects that government spending will total $925 billion in fiscal 1985 and $1.07 trillion in fiscal 1986, the sources said. A deficit of $186 billion is expected for fiscal 1985.
The President is scheduled to submit his budget to the Congress on Jan. 30. Fiscal 1985 begins next Oct. 1.
