President Bush’s budget request for fiscal 2004 includes $53.1 billion in discretionary spending for the Department of Education. Below are highlights from that request, as compared with his request for fiscal 2003 and the actual levels for fiscal 2002.
Proposed |
Proposed |
Final | |
| Pell Grants | $12.7 billion | $10.9 billion | $11.3 billion* |
| Title I grants to districts |
12.4 billion | 11.4 billion | 10.4 billion |
| Special education grants to states | 9.5 billion | 8.5 billion | 7.5 billion |
| Teacher-quality grants to states | 2.9 billion | 2.9 billion | 2.9 billion |
| Reading first | 1.1 billion | 1 billion | 900 million |
Impact aid | 1 billion | 1.1 billion | 1.1 billion |
| Vocational Education | 1 billion | 1.3 billion | 1.3 billion |
| Educ. Technology grants to states | 701 million | 701 million | 701 million |
| English-language acquisition | 665 million | 665 million | 665 million |
| 21st Century Community Learning Centers | 600 billion | 1 billion | 1 billion |
| State assessments | 390 million | 387 million | 387 million |
| Research, development, and dissemination | 185 million | 175 million | 122 million |
| Charter school facilities | 100 million | 100 million | 0 |
School choice | 75 million | 50 million | 0 |
| Comprehensive school reform | 0 | 235 million | 235 million |
| Rural education | 0 | 0 | 163 million |
Smaller learning | 0 | 0 | 142 million |
TOTAL | $53.1 billion | $50.3 billion | $49.9 billion |
*The original fiscal 2002 figure for Pell Grants was $10.3 billion, but last summer, Congress added an extra $1 billion to make up a funding shortfall.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education
