On July 27, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a 26-2 vote, agreed to a bipartisan FY2024 bill that provides the US Department of Education (USDE) with a $175 million increase for Title I-A grants and a $175 million increase for pre-K-12 special education state grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These boosts sustain and build on the more than $3.1 billion increase provided over the last two fiscal years for these programs, which are the cornerstone federal investments in our nation’s public elementary and secondary school system. The bill also provides $1.4 billion, a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2023, for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants; $1.6 billion, an increase of $10 million, for Impact Aid; and $897 million, an increase of $7 million over fiscal year 2023, for English Language Acquisition. The bill also includes a combined increase of $35 million to address educator shortages, including an increase of $19.5 million for IDEA Personnel Preparation.
In sharp incongruity, the House Appropriations Committee recommended just $67.4 billion for the USDE, including an 80% cut for Title I.
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