Congressman Mike Michaud

FEATURES

Cutting School Safety Funding: The Wrong Answer

Our children are our nation’s priority and their safety should be second to none.  Recent incidents of school violence in Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania demonstrated that more can and should be done to protect our children.  While the federal government has a limited role in this area, it doesn’t mean that the Congress and the Administration should turn a blind eye to the situation.

In response to the recent violence, President Bush recently participated in a school safety conference.  Joined by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the President said that communities need a list of “best practices” to prevent and respond to the kinds of school attacks that have occurred in recent weeks.

I agree with the President and appreciate that he is speaking out on this issue.  School officials, police officers, students, and parents deserve to know how the federal government is supporting their state’s ability to ensure that their local schools are safe.

But while convening a symposium on school safety is helpful, backing up a thoughtful discussion with action is even more productive.

I have been disappointed that the President, for the second year in a row, has proposed completely eliminating the Safe and Drug-Free School State Grant Program in his 2007 budget.  The House Leadership’s Labor, Health, and Education funding bill, while not eliminating the program, doesn’t do much better – it cuts the funding by 34 percent below what was appropriated in 2002.

Because of these cuts, Maine will receive $809,000 less for school safety compared to what it received in 2002, and $1.68 million less than the amount promised in the No Child Left Behind Act.

The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program is the federal government's major initiative to prevent drug abuse and violence in and around our schools. The grants are awarded by formula to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Funds also go to state governors for creating programs to deter youth from using drugs and committing violent acts in schools.

According to the Department of Education, the grant program provides support for a variety of drug and violence prevention activities focused primarily on school-age youths.  Activities commonly funded by these grants include: staff training; student instruction; curriculum development and acquisition; parent education and involvement; conflict resolution; and peer mediation and student assistance programs, such as counseling, mentoring, and referral services.

These important activities need our support and were cited during the President’s symposium on school safety as crucial to combating school-based violence. It is vital that we foster a safe and healthy learning environment for our children so that can excel. 

As First Lady Laura Bush said at the symposium, “children can't learn if they're worried about their safety.”  We should be properly funding initiatives like the Safe and Drug-Free School State Grant Program, not calling for their elimination. 

Experts agree that there are some immediate steps that can be taken to make our nation’s schools safer.  Schools can pay more attention to bullying and warning signals from students, and they can spend more time rehearsing crisis plans. And while it’s clear that there is no single, simple answer to curbing school violence; cutting vital funding for important safety programs is certainly the wrong answer.

10/13/2006 4:55:52 PM