MAY 12, 2004

Bush Distorts Education Record in 3-State Tour
To kick off his three-day, three-state education tour,
President Bush yesterday claimed that he has seriously
increased funding for education, saying that "we're
doing our duty, we understand that people need extra
help, and the federal government is responding" (1).
But a look at the numbers shows that the President has
left a $72 billion gap between what he promised to
spend on education and what he has actually proposed
-- leaving hundreds of thousands of children behind
(2).

Yesterday the President visited Arkansas, a state that
was promised $176 million for disadvantaged children
by the White House in the No Child Left Behind Act.
Instead, the Bush budget provides the state with only
$117 million (3). That means more than 60,000 Arkansas
kids will be denied federal education assistance (4).
All told, Bush is proposing to reduce funding for
almost one third of Arkansas school districts from the
levels of one year ago (5). Of course, the President
still insisted that his education budget met his
promises to Arkansas. But just last month the
University of Arkansas released a comprehensive study
showing that the Bush budget gaps were damaging
education throughout the state (6).

The President will continue his education tour in
Maryland today and in West Virginia tomorrow - both
states with the same story.  Bush promised $264
million to Maryland this year for educating
disadvantaged children (7), and yet he is only
proposing to give the state $171 million -- leaving
more than 60,000 kids behind (8). And in West
Virginia, Bush promised $163 million but is only
providing $106 million -- leaving more than 40,000
kids behind. Making matters worse, a new report shows
that West Virginia is among the 8 states whose budgets
have been hardest hit by other White House policies,
with Bush policies draining away state money that
could be used to fill education budget shortfalls (9).

Sources:

  1. President Bush Visits Butterfield Junior High in Van Buren, Arkansas, 05/11/04.
  2. PASSING DOWN THE DEFICIT, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 05/12/04.
  3. Press Release, American Federation of Teachers, 01/12/04.
  4. National Education Association.
  5. Associated Press, 3/15/04.
  6. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 4/30/04.
  7. Press Release, American Federation of Teachers, 01/12/04.
  8. National Education Association.
  9. PASSING DOWN THE DEFICIT, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 05/12/04.