IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 139
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department
of Education, States, and local education agencies should spend a greater
percentage of Federal education tax dollars in our children’s classrooms.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 1, 1997
Mr. PITTS (for himself, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. GOODLING, Mr.
HOEKSTRA, Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. RYUN, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr.
SNOWBARGER, Mr. ENGLISH
of Pennsylvania, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr.
CHABOT, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. SAM
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. HERGER, and Mr. HAYWORTH) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that
the Department of Education, States, and local education
agencies should spend a greater percentage of Federal
education tax dollars in our children’s classrooms.
Whereas we know that effective teaching takes place when we
begin (1) helping children master basic academics, (2)
engaging and involving parents, (3) creating safe and or-
derly classrooms, and (4) getting dollars to the class-
room;
Whereas our Nation’s children deserve an educational system
which will provide opportunities to excel;
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Whereas States and localities must spend a significant
amount of Federal education tax dollars applying for and
administering Federal education dollars;
Whereas several States have reported that although they re-
ceive less than 10 percent of their education funding
from the Federal Government, more than 50 percent of
their paperwork is associated with those Federal dollars;
Whereas while it is unknown exactly what percentage of Fed-
eral education dollars reaches the classroom, a recent
audit of New York City public schools found that only 43
percent of their local education budget reaches the class-
room. Further, it is thought that only 85 percent of
funds administered by the United States Department of
Education for elementary and secondary education reach
the school district level. Even if 65 percent of Federal
education funds presently reach the classroom, it still
means that billions of dollars are not directly spent on
children in the classroom;
Whereas American students are not performing up to their
full academic potential, despite the more than 760 Fed-
eral education programs, which span 39 Federal agencies
at the price of nearly $100,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas, according to the Digest of Education Statistics, in
1993 only $141,598,786,000 out of $265,285,370,000
spent on elementary and secondary education was spent
on ‘‘instruction’’;
Whereas, according to the National Center for Education
Statistics, in 1994 only 52 percent of staff employed in
public elementary and secondary school systems were
teachers;
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Whereas too much of our Federal education funding is spent
on bureaucracy, and too little is spent on our Nation’s
youth;
Whereas getting 90 percent of Department of Education ele-
mentary and secondary education funds to the classroom
could provide approximately $1,800 additional funding
per classroom across the United States;
Whereas more education funding should be put in the hands
of someone in a child’s classroom who knows the child’s
name;
Whereas President Clinton has stated: ‘‘We cannot ask the
American people to spend more on education until we do
a better job with the money we’ve got now.’’;
Whereas President Clinton and Vice President Gore agree
that the reinventing of public education will not begin in
Washington but in communities across America and that
we must ask fundamental questions about how our public
school systems’ dollars are spent; and
Whereas President Clinton and Vice President Gore agree
that in an age of tight budgets, we should be spending
public funds on teachers and children, not on unneces-
sary overhead and bloated bureaucracy: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives urges
the Department of Education, States, and local education
agencies to work together to ensure that not less than 90
percent of all funds appropriated for the purpose of carry-
ing out elementary and secondary education programs ad-
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ministered by the Department of Education is spent for
our children in their classrooms.
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