Southern Education Foundation Releases Analysis of President Biden’s FY 2023 Budget Request
Organization Points to Increased Education Spending that Supports Equity
MEDIA CONTACT: Gretchen Wright, gwright@southerneducation.org, (202) 421-5830
April 4, 2022 (Atlanta, GA)–An analysis of President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal, released today by the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), notes significant increases in education funding, with a focus on increasing education equity. SEF is a 155-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing education equity and opportunity in the South.
The analysis notes that the proposal includes a historic proposed increase of nearly 21 percent ($15.3 billion) to the U.S. Department of Education’s programs from the 2021-enacted levels. That includes $36.5 billion for Title I schools, which is nearly double the current funding level, a $1 billion investment to increase the number of health professionals in schools to help mitigate the lingering effects of COVID-19, and doubling the maximum Pell Grant award by 2029.
The analysis also highlights the following proposed investments:
- a $393 million increase to the Full-Service Community Schools program to help address the comprehensive needs of the whole child;
- $100 million to help build more racially and socio-economically diverse K-12 schools; and
- $20 million to help diversify the teaching workforce by supporting Hawkins Centers of Excellence educator preparation programs at Minority-Serving Institutions.
SEF praises the President’s proposed education spending in its analysis: “We believe the President’s budget request presents a framework to shape the federal policy and funding agenda in a way that focuses on eliminating persistent inequities in education opportunity and genuinely transforms our educational ecosystem of learning. Not only does this proposal clearly outline his funding priorities to Congress, but the request also reflects President Biden’s values and morals to the American people. As states and districts across the country, and in particular the southern region, continue to respond and recover from the impact of COVID-19, contend with inadequate per-pupil funding levels, and the ongoing threat of classroom censorship, key federal investments, as proposed by the President, will be critical for student success. States and community partners understand federal investments directly support historically disadvantaged populations, build student and family agency, and help ensure all students have access to a high-quality and supportive learning environment.”
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Originally founded in 1867 to educate Black children and children from low-income families in the South, the Southern Education Foundation also has a long history of developing leaders in education and was a pivotal source of research and data to support legislation and litigation aimed at fighting inequity in education during the civil rights era. The organization today conducts leadership development, research, and advocacy to improve educational opportunities for students of color and students from low-income families and achieve educational equity in the southern U.S. It is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Find out more at https://southerneducation.org