ACTION ALERT ACTION ALERT: Save Title V Funding!
On September 15th, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies approved appropriations for fiscal year 2005 that zeroed out Title V, Part A of No Child Left Behind: Innovative Programs. Previously, the House Appropriations Committee allocated only $20 million for the program, falling significantly short of the FY04 level of $296.5 million. This block grant has a long history of providing help and assistance to private school students in a wide array of educational areas. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled favorably on our participation in this program, after nearly 15 years of litigation. We have a great deal to lose if Title V, Part A is not fundedWe need your help!
Please contact your Congressman and Senators by phone,
fax or e-mail
as soon as possible.
Ask your Congressman or Senator to convey your views to fund Title V, Part A, Innovative Program in an omnibus appropriations bill to at least the fiscal year 2004 level of $296.5 million. |
- Importance: This funding has brought innovative and high quality material and services to Catholic school students and teachers for decades. (Give examples of what you have achieved for your students through Innovative Program funds).
- Countering argument that public schools can transfer funds into Innovative Programs: Eliminating this funding because public schools can transfer No Child Left Behind funds into Innovative Programs does not provide for continued services and benefits for private school students and teachers. It is very unlikely that the needs of private school students would be considered in this case.
- Assistance to faith-based institutions providing citizen services: At a time when the Administration and Congress is trying to assist faith-based organizations in participating in federal programs, it does not make sense to end funding for the one program that has worked effectively for faith-based and other public and private schools for decades.
The Senate Appropriations bill may not go to the Senate floor. Instead, the House and Senate appropriators will likely craft an omnibus appropriations bill, taking in all appropriations that have not been signed into law by the President. Most of this work will be done behind the scenes. It is possible that what next comes to the House and Senate floors will not be amendable.
Therefore, even if you have already called, faxed, or e-mailed, please do so again. It is important to keep this issue in the forefront when an omnibus appropriations bill is written and debated.
Fax numbers and e-mail addresses for individual Senators and House members can be found at www.senate.gov or at www.house.gov.
Thank you for your help and assistance in this very important endeavor!
Action on equitable participation in federal education programs was approved by USCCB Committee on Education on January 14, 2004.