On March 9th the House of Representatives passed an omnibus spending bill, the Senate passed the spending bill on the following day, and President Biden signed the spending bill on March 14th. The FY (Fiscal Year) 22 spending bill was passed in the wake of contention between the parties on Defense vs. Non-Defense spending. For the two parties to come to an agreement before a government shutdown took place on Friday, concessions had to be made. The FY 22 spending bill passed by Congress includes a $2.3 billion increase to Department of Education funding ($2.9 billion including the Pell grant), bringing the total ED funding amount to $53.9 billion. Details below:
Title I, Part A– The largest source of federal funding for schools in poverty and economically disadvantaged students. Title I-A is set to be funded at $17.5 billion, a $1 billion increase over FY 21 funding. This proposed increase to Title I-A would allow for an increased level of supplemental support in providing a well-rounded education that includes music.
Title II, Part A-Funding for the professional development of teachers and school administrators is also set to receive an increase in funding. Title II-A is set to be funded at $2.2 billion, a $27 million increase from FY 21 funding. Title II, Part A funding can be used to support recruitment and professional development of music educators.
Title IV, Part A– Title IV-A provides block grants for three express purposes, one of which is to support a well-rounded education for students. Through these block grants, Title IV-A is the federal funding stream most commonly used for providing supplemental instruction for music and arts education. Title IV-A is set to be funded at $1.28 billion, a $60 million increase over FY 21 funding.
FY 22 Funding Table
| Funding Area | FY 21 | FY 22 | Difference in Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of ED Budget | $51.3 B | $53.9 B | +$2.6 B |
| Title I | $16.53 B | $17.5 B | +$1 B |
| Title II | $2.143 B | $2.2 B | +27 M |
| Title IV | $1.22 B | $1.28 B | +$60 M |
Build Back Better
As part of his “Build Back Better” framework President Biden has proposed several policies to expand opportunity for historically disenfranchised groups. As it pertains to education, President Biden has proposed three policies that fall directly in line with NAfME’s goals of expanding student access to music education.
Make a historic investment to support students in high-poverty schools.
To ensure that every student—including those from underserved and under-resourced communities—can learn and thrive, the FY 22 budget provides a $1 billion increase to Title I grants. This new funding is meant to provide under-resourced schools with the funding needed to deliver a high-quality education to all of students by ensuring teachers at Title I schools are paid competitively, providing equitable access to a rigorous curriculum, increasing access to preschool, and providing meaningful incentives for states to examine and address inequalities in school funding systems.
Boost Support for Children with Disabilities
As part of his “Build Back Better” framework, President Biden’s budget includes $13.3 billion (a $406 million increase from FY 21) for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA supports special education and related services for over 7.6 million Pre-K-12 students.
Prioritize the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Students
The physical and mental well-being of students has been shown to have a profound effect on their academic achievement. To this end, President Biden’s budget provides $75 million (a $45 million increase from FY 21) for full-service community schools to provide comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, students’ family members, and community members that will result in improved educational outcomes for children.
March 21, 2022. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)
