Education Update.
Education initiatives that would return control to local schools and parents are being considered by Congress. Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA) is the sponsor of the Dollars to the Classroom (H.R. 3248) measure that would require at least 95 percent of U.S. Department of Education funds be made available for classroom use. This would send over $3 billion in federal K-12 education program funding to states, thus eliminating the federal strings currently attached to this education funding. The bill may be considered by itself, or it may be included in this year’s education appropriation. Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) and Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) are leading a bi-cameral effort to give parents more access in their children’s education. Currently, some parents are denied requests to view their children’s curriculum. These bills (S. 1631 in the Senate and H.R. 3189 in the House) would restore parents’ right to be actively involved in their children’s education.
[Source: Family Research Council’s LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE, Friday, April 3, 1998]
Senate Vote on Education Savings Accounts.
The Senate is expected to consider Sen. Paul Coverdell's (R-GA) Parents and Students Savings Accounts Plus (PASS A+) Act (S. 1133) the week of March 9. Coverdell's legislation would increase education opportunities for schoolchildren by allowing withdrawals from tax-free education savings accounts (ESAs) for K-12 public, private, or home school expenses. The Senate bill would allow $2,000 in annual contributions to a child's ESA. Last year, the House passed legislation that would allow contributions up to $2,500 annually into ESAs. The bill was stalled in the Senate after opponents led a filibuster against the legislation. Senators voted 56-44 in favor of Sen. Coverdell's A+ Education Savings Accounts bill, but lacked the necessary 60 votes to end the filibuster. However, several senators who opposed ESAs last year voted for the legislation in the Senate Finance Committee in early February. Opponents of ESAs are chiefly those within the education establishment who erroneously claim that ESAs will hurt public education. However, the Congressional Joint Tax Committee estimated that 75 percent of the funds would be used by public school students. Please call your senators and urge them to support Coverdell's Education Savings Accounts. The Capitol Switchboard number for the Senate is 202-224-3121.
[Source: Family Research Council’s LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE, Friday, March 6, 1998]