A separate Tech-Prep funding stream is provided in this legislation. The two education provisions included in the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1998 taxpayer would improve both higher education and elementary and secondary education. Under the bill, private higher education institutions would be permitted to establish prepaid tuition programs. At the present, only state-supported schools may do so. In addition, at the elementary and secondary level, school districts would not be required to rebate proceeds from arbitrage to the Federal government in the situation where the proceeds of school construction bonds are spent within four years.
Emphasis is placed on long-term academic improvement and occupational training.
Eliminating numerous federal requirements, including duplicative and costly planning, paperwork and reporting requirements cut the bureaucracy. Changes improved procedures for quickly removing dangerous students from the classroom, and consolidated 18 discretionary programs into six. For the first time since the original law was enacted, the local share of spending for special education costs could be reduced. The Crossroads Project found there were more than 760 federal education programs, which span 39 agencies, boards, and commissions. Only a small number of these programs are related to improving academic achievement in the classroom.