Federal Adult Education Budget Intact 

In Washington, the FY 2012 omnibus appropriations bill that will fund two-thirds of government agencies -- including the Department of Education -- was finally accepted by both parties. The bill passed the House of Representatives on December 16 and was approved by the Senate the following day, ending a stalemate that threatened government shutdown.

Adult education fared well in the negotiations; the federal budget for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) remained intact, and overall funding for adult education state grants will stay level at $596.1 million.

While the omnibus bill does not include many funding increases for education, it was more generous than expected considering the marked differences between two major proposals at play in the negotiations.

The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) bill focused on increasing funding to education, providing job training and creating new jobs. The bill directed funds to libraries and several non-profit organizations in the education sector.

The second proposal, put forth by House Subcommittee Chairman Denny Rehberg (R-MT), increased funding for certain programs, most notably Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Grants to states and funding for Title 1. Funding would be eliminated, however, for 31 other educational programs currently receiving federal support.

The final measure includes a .189 percent budget cut across the board. Small increases were included for IDEA and Title 1, and most other federally-funded programs were frozen at the FY 2012 level.

For more information, refer to the National Coalition for Literacy’s advocacy blog.

Also learn more about the WIA reauthorization and several legislative measures involved.