As Fiscal Cliff Looms, Impact would be Catastrophic to Education

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As lawmakers reconvene to discuss alternatives to the fiscal cliff, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) continues to urge Congress and President Barack Obama to forge a bipartisan solution that puts our children's education first and protects their future, as well as the future of our country.

With the fiscal cliff looming, more than 600 school boards have passed resolutions urging Congress to stop the across-the-board cuts that would have a detrimental impact upon their school districts through the sequestration process. These federal cuts would total more than $4 billion this fiscal year. Furthermore, these cuts would continue over a 10-year period and have a devastating effect on our schools, eroding the base of funding for key programs year after year.

"The federal cuts to education would be a regression to the progress our school districts have made in student achievement, from deep cuts to Title I grants for disadvantaged students and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to House-passed legislation that would impose mandatory reductions eliminating automatic eligibility of 280,000 low-income students for free school lunches," said Michael A. Resnick, NSBA's Associate Executive Director for Public Policy and Federal Advocacy.

K-12 education programs have already been reduced on the federal level with cuts to elementary and secondary education funding in Fiscal Year 2011. The ability to absorb additional budget cuts and provide an enhanced curriculum for all students is extremely limited for many school districts.