In the U.S. government budget for fiscal year 2024, revealed March 9, President Joe Biden has requested $90 billion for the Department of Education, $10.8 billion more than the 2023 enacted level.
Some of the investments within that $90 billion are:
• $20.5 billion for Title I (a $2.2 billion increase above the 2023 enacted level)
• $578 million for more school-based counselors, psychologists, social workers and other health professionals in K-12 schools and to support colleges and universities develop campus-wide strategies to address student mental health needs, including hiring additional providers on their campuses
• $132 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership program (a $62 million increase above the 2023 enacted level)
“President Biden’s latest budget proposal calls on Congress to act with urgency and provide our schools with the resources needed to raise the bar in education by promoting academic excellence and rigorous instruction, improving learning conditions, and answering unmet challenges like the educator shortage and the mental health needs of our students,” U.S. Education Secretary Dr. Miguel A. Cardona said in a March 9 release. “Our administration is also pushing for dramatic new investments in high-quality preschool that provide all our youngest learners with a sturdy bridge to elementary school success.”
He added, “The Biden-Harris budget also supports the Department of Education’s efforts to boost global competitiveness by expanding opportunities for multilingual learning, redesigning high schools to include multiple pathways to college and career, and supercharging state and local efforts to make free community college a reality nationwide.”