02.27.18

By:  Emily Wilkins
Source: Bloomberg Government

School Shooting Leads House Chair to Call for Grant Funding

The top Republican on the House education committee plans to ask appropriators to fund a federal grant program to bolster school safety, although the Education Department has proposed eliminating the program.

The grant, known as Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, was created under the 2015 K-12 education law (Pub. L. 114-95) to allow schools to cover a wide range of expenses, including costs for improving school conditions. While the program is authorized for up to $1.6 billion annually, it currently receives $400 million.

Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) is currently soliciting support for a letter asking that the program be funded in fiscal 2018 from the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), tying the request for funds to the Feb. 14 school shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 dead.

Prior to the Parkland, Fla., school shooting, Foxx had not taken a position on funding for program.

“It is important that we work together to support states and school districts in their efforts to keep America’s student safe,” she said in a Feb. 26 letter to Scott.

That, she said, was best accomplished by giving school districts “flexibility in the resources provided to them so they can adopt the tools and practices that will help them best protect their students and provide appropriate supportive services to help prevent tragedies.”

Foxx’s call to fund the program is in contrast to the Education Department, which proposed the program be eliminated in fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2019.

In its fiscal 2019 proposal, the department said that “the activities authorized under this program generally can be supported with funds from other Federal, State, local, and private sources.”

Appropriators rebuffed the department’s fiscal 2018 request. Senate appropriators have proposed funding the program at $450 million, while House appropriators have proposed funding it at $500 million.

Foxx does not plan to ask appropriators for a specific amount of funding, according to Michael Woeste, a committee spokesman.

Scott and other committee Democrats asked Foxx in a Feb. 16 letter to have a hearing on school shootings. So far, no hearing on the topic has been scheduled.

Scott said he supported funding the grants in April 2017.

“While I was disappointed the Chairwoman didn’t join in that effort, I’m heartened she is now advocating to fund this important student support program,” Scott said in a written statement. “Meanwhile, I still believe that a hearing on school shootings is imperative, and I call on Chairwoman Foxx to convene such a hearing as soon as possible.”