AASA Issues Statement on the FY 2022 Omnibus Bill
March 09, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org
Alexandria, Va. – March 9, 2022 – Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, issued the following statement today on funding in the FY 2022 omnibus bill.
“The FY22 omnibus bill as it relates to education is, at best, a mixed bag. We commend Democratic leaders for going to bat for the increases that were realized. It is clear they heard the message from the field and pushed for prioritizing education funding. At the same time, the bill misses the mark on what could have been, especially in the context of what had been proposed across the administration, House, and Senate.
“We are deeply troubled by the lack of an extension for the school nutrition waivers, a seeming failure to acknowledge that student hunger needs will continue into the 2022-23 school year, and a willingness to undo all the good that has been done—all the meals that have been fed—under this initially bipartisan proposal. Complicating the meals piece even further—the end of these commonsense flexibilities comes at the exact time that schools are seeing increased prices and supply chain issues.
“Specific to the IDEA funding level, this is a cut in comparison to current ARP levels. This omnibus was the first time in my career at AASA that Congress had a true opportunity to redirect itself forward on the IDEA glidepath. We applaud them for the small increases included in today’s bill, while also holding them accountable for once again leaving IDEA severely underfunded. The proposed level puts schools on an IDEA funding cliff and all but ensures that ARP IDEA dollars will go to one-time expenditures instead of sustainable quality investments. We did this once under ARRA, and we had reasonable hope that Congress would prioritize this ARP funding level, given both the chronic underfunding of IDEA and the lessons learned from ARRA.
“This significant shift away from proposed funding levels for K12 education is the second time in less than a year that the nation’s public schools were cut as part of broader negotiations. Last fall, K-12 schools saw the proposed infrastructure funding for schools pushed out of the Build Back Better negotiations.
“Today’s bill shows, once again, the disconnect between education funding proposals and education funding realities. What we fund is what we value, and AASA urges Congress to do better when it comes to truly and meaningfully funding education. Our nation’s public school system leaders expected better, and our nation’s schools and students deserved more. At the end of the day, though, our nation’s public school system can and will make this work, ensuring that school doors remain open and ready to educate all who walk through.”
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For specific questions, please contact Noelle Ellerson Ng, AASA associate executive director, advocacy and governance, at nellerson@aasa.org.
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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
