News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

January 30, 2004

                                       Contact: Sara Lang
                                       Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge to Bush: Keep Promise to Children, Schools, Taxpayers

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) called on President Bush and Republicans in Congress to fulfill the promise of the No Child Left Behind Act by fully funding the initiative in the President's annual budget request. Since the signing of this bipartisan education reform act two years ago, the President has provided about $17 billion less for education than was promised in the new law, shortchanging millions of North Carolina's children.

Just last week, the President signed legislation setting spending levels for the federal Department of Education for this year. That spending bill alone provided about $8 billion less than was promised for the No Child Left Behind Act -- shortchanging reading and math help for disadvantaged children, after-school programs, and teacher training,

"Our schools have kept their promise to improve education and increase accountability, but the Administration has not kept its promise to help pay the bill," Etheridge said. "On Monday, when President Bush sends Congress his new budget for next year, I urge him to forge a new direction and provide the promised investments to make the No Child Left Behind Act work for all our children. I will continue to fight for the children of North Carolina by raising student achievement in core subjects like reading and math, demanding results from our schools, providing after-school programs and involving parents in their children's progress. That starts by fulfilling the promise of the No Child Left Behind Act to our children, schools and taxpayers."

For the current year, schools in North Carolina will get $230.7 million less than promised by the law, including:

  • $136.5 million less for aid to poor school districts in North Carolina through the Title I program;
  • $27.8 million less for children with disabilities North Carolina through the IDEA program;
  • $16.5 million less for after-school programs in North Carolina;
  • $8.8 million less for training and hiring North Carolina teachers; and
  • $17.0 million less for "Impact Aid" to school districts with high percentages of military families

Etheridge, the former Superintendent of North Carolina's public schools, chairs the Democratic Caucus's Education Task Force in the U.S. House. He has introduced legislation to require full funding of the No Child Left Behind Act every year.

   
   
   
   

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