Below are Bush’s proposed cuts to education, in more specific detail. Where possible, I have linked to pages with more information about the programs being cut. Note how many of these programs are directed at helping low-income and minority children.

Educational technology state grants, $272 million

Even Start, $99 million

Elementary and secondary education program terminations:

Parental information and resource centers, $40 million

Arts in education, $35 million

Elementary and secondary school counseling, $35 million

Alcohol abuse reduction, $32 million

Civic education, $29 million

National Writing Project, $22 million

Star Schools, $15 million

School leadership,$15 million

Ready to Teach, $11 million

Javits gifted and talented education, $10 million

Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners, $9 million

Comprehensive school reform, $8 million

Dropout prevention program, $5 million

Mental Health integration in schools, $5 million

Women’s Educational Equity, $3 million

Academies for American History and Civics, $2 million

Close-Up fellowships, $1 million

Foundations for Learning, $1 million

Excellence in Economic Education, $1 million

High school programs terminations:

Vocational education state grants, $1,182 million

Vocational education national programs, $9 million

Upward Bound, $311 million

GEAR UP, $303 million

Talent search, $145 million

Tech prep state grants, $105 million

Smaller learning communities, $94 million

Safe and Drug-Free Schools state grants, $347 million

Higher Education Programs:

Education demos for students with disabilities, $7 million

Underground Railroad Program, $2 million

State grants for incarcerated youth offenders, $23 million

Postsecondary Student Financial Assistance Programs:

Perkins Loan cancellations, $65 million

Leveraging educational assistance programs, $65 million

Byrd Scholarships, $41 million

Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational opportunity, $3 million

B.J. Stupak Olympic scholarships, $1 million

Vocational rehabilitation programs:

Supported employment, $30 million

Projects with industry, $20 million

Recreational programs, $3 million

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers,$2 million

Teacher Quality Enhancement, $60 million

Total $3,468 million

Dividing this total by 50, to get a sense of the average of what each state will lose in Federal funds in education, the answer is: on average, each state will lose about $69,000,000 in education dollars if these cuts are approved.

Schools have already suffered from federal pullbacks in education spending, with more of the burden of local school budgets falling on property taxes. With these cuts, we can expect more of the same. Taxpayers, particularly the elderly, cannot keep up with these taxes and are being driven out of their homes. Closing smaller schools, increasing class sizes, cutting sports programs, and reducing food quality, are just a few of the ways that schools are sacrificing quality education to try to cover their budget shortfalls.