For Release: March 9, 2022
Contact: Dorie Turner Nolt, 404.861.1127, dturnernolt@all4ed.org
“Although it is not the ambitious education funding package that it started out as, the bipartisan omnibus budget released today has some bright spots to help students, families, and educators. We are encouraged to see a $1 billion increase in Title I dollars, particularly as schools work to help students, especially our most underserved, recover from instructional loss during the pandemic. We also welcome the nearly five-fold increase in funding for student mental health support which is needed now more than ever. We are excited to see the $400 increase to Pell Grants, a program that helps low-income students afford college. However, even with these steps forward, we are dismayed that Congress failed to extend flexibilities for school meal programs that have enabled districts to serve more students and families safely, despite increased food costs and logistical challenges. This kind of political stunt hurts students and families. We call on Congress to address this immediately so that students and families don’t go hungry next year. The pandemic has brought on countless challenges, and America’s youth and their families deserve the best we have to offer so they may thrive.”
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Deborah S. Delisle is the president and CEO of All4Ed (formerly the Alliance for Excellent Education) and served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education from 2012 to 2015.
All4Ed (formerly the Alliance for Excellent Education) is a Washington, DC–based national organization dedicated to advancing policies and practices so all students, especially those from underserved communities and particularly students of color and those from low-income families, graduate from high school prepared to complete postsecondary education and achieve success in a rapidly changing world. all4ed.org
