Bennet-Burr Amendment to Better Fund Education for Impoverished Children Passes Senate

Washington, DC - Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) today made the following statements on the passage of the bipartisan amendment, Full Educational Opportunity Act, to the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA) by a vote of 59 to 39.

"This amendment means kids in Colorado will be treated more equitably," Bennet said. "The current formula shortchanges kids in Colorado. Our proposal puts in place a formula that works to fulfill the intent of federal education funding, to help kids in low-income communities, particularly those living in concentrations of poverty."

"The passage of this amendment will finally start to properly fund education for impoverished children across the country, as was the original intent of the legislation in 1965," said Burr. "Under the new formula, all kids in the United States will receive equal treatment across the board and many will see an increase in federal dollars, including those in North Carolina. I am proud that we've finally solved this problem, and I thank my colleagues for voting to treat all low-income children the same way."

The Full Educational Opportunity Act makes more federal education dollars available to low income children across the United States by treating poor children the same.

The legislation clarifies the Title 1-A section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to end a discriminatory policy that unfairly favors a few states at the expense of poor children who reside in the rest of America. The amendment would more properly allocate education money by multiplying their number of poor children by national costs to educate them instead of relying on the current, byzantine formula used by the federal government. The formula kicks in after only $2.5 billion more in Title I-A appropriations.

North Carolina will benefit by increase of approximately 18% over current funding levels. Colorado will benefit by an increase of approximately 19% over current funding levels.

Legislation is available here. State breakdowns based on current appropriations levels available here.

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