1. Federal Policy Update Pennsylvania Federal Coordinators May 9, 2017
Leslie Finnan
Senior Legislative Analyst
AASA: The School Superintendents Association

2. Overview ESSA Budget Medicaid Choice legislation Other issues
Trump proposal
FY 2017
FY 2018
Medicaid
AHCA
Effect on schools
Choice legislation
Types of legislation
Proposals
Other issues
Questions
Overview

3. Implementation is full steam ahead, and starts for the 2017-18 school year.
Congressional Review Act rescinds the accountability regulations. For you, that means write your state accountability plans to the statute.
Implementation of ESSA will hinge on how much your state makes significant changes to the accountability workbook AND funding.
In light of the CRA, its important for Congress to be diligent in its ESSA oversight.
Funding will be important part of initial roll out of ESSA.
Recent DeVos letter removed the stakeholder engagement requirement.
ESSA

5. 35 states provided less overall state funding per student in 2014 school year than in 2008 the year the recession took hold
In 27 states, local government funding per student fell over the same period, adding to the damage of state cuts

6. President Trump’s Budget Proposal
“Skinny budget”
USED cut by 13% ($9 billion)
Increases
Title I - $1 billion
School choice
$1 billion for Title I portability $250 million for new private school choice program $168 million increase for charter schools
Level funded
IDEA – 16% federal share
Eliminated
Title II Part A
21st Century Learning Communities
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program
20 categorical programs including Striving Readers, Teacher Quality Partnership, Impact Aid Support Payments for Federal Property, and International Education programs.
President Trump’s Budget Proposal

7. FY 2017 House and Senate passed $1 trillion budget
For education, it is as good as we could get under budget caps
Budget caps not an excuse – they are arbitrary and set by Congress
USED cut by $1.1 billion
Title I increased by $100 million – still a shortfall for districts
Title II cut by almost $300 million
Title IV funded at $400 million – will be converted to competitive
IDEA holding steady at 16% federally funded
REAP is level funded
Impact Aid up $23m to $1.3b
21st Century up $25 m
Charter Schools up $9m
Head Start up $85 m
DC voucher program reauthorized for three years
Secure Rural Schools and Forest Counties NOT funded
FY 2017

8. FY 2018
Priority:
Title I must be funded at level to meet state set aside and preserve LEA allocations and avoid $200m shortfall for LEAs
IDEA: Level funding of IDEA puts the federal share at 16%, below the 2005 level, when federal share was 18%
Title IV: Fund Title IV at a level that supports local formula allocation
Reality:
Very real threat of deep cuts.
Parity between defense/non-defense discretionary

9. American Health Care Act (AHCA) and Schools
House passed their version last week
Changes Medicaid to a per capita devolution to states
States may decide to not reimburse schools, and funding would not keep up with demand
Senate putting together panel to write their version
Put together 13-member Republican panel
Includes Senator Toomey
American Health Care Act (AHCA) and Schools

10. Quick Primer on School-Based Medicaid
Since 1968, districts can provide EPSDT services for Medically eligible children and be reimbursed.
Since 1988, districts can bill for medically- necessary services related to IEP
1% of all federal Medicaid dollars go to schools
46% of Medicaid beneficiaries are children
19% of the costs of Medicaid are incurred by children.
Quick Primer on School-Based Medicaid

11. Types of Vouchers Traditional Vouchers Backdoor Vouchers Portability
All Students
Targeted
Military
Disabilities
Poverty
Poor Performing Schools
Foster Child
Backdoor Vouchers
Tuition Tax Credits
Education Savings Accounts
Portability
A Step Towards Vouchers
Title I funds “follow the student”
Sarah

12. Tax Credit Plan No concrete plans yet
Floating putting individual tax credit into tax budget reconciliation
Like AHCA proposal, would only need 50 votes in the Senate – no dems needed
$20 billion school choice plan could be $2 billion per year for 10 years

13. Perkins CTE 114th Congress 115th Congress
House passed bipartisan legislation in July to reauthorize Perkins, Senate didn’t take action
115th Congress
House to introduce similar bill
There is much to like in the bill
Addresses the onerous administrative requirements for Perkins funding
Addresses paperwork burden by allowing districts to fill out a simple, easy-to-complete local application
Streamlines the accountability system and aligns performance measures with those set by each state under ESSA
Perkins CTE

14. School Nutrition 114th Congress 115th Congress USDA Proclamation
House and Senate introduced bills last year, did not make it out of Committee
115th Congress
Attention in the Senate to be on the Farm Bill instead this year
USDA Proclamation
Secretary Purdue signed proclamation ordering flexibilities
Essentially status quo
Holding sodium limits at Target I
Allows for waiver of whole grain requirement to 50%
Allows 1% flavored milk to be served
School Nutrition

15. SCOTUS and Education Grimm: Fry: Endrew:
Case re: guidance on transgender students and bathrooms
Fry:
Must a family exhaust provisions under IDEA before exercising protections under ADA?
Signed onto NSBA amicus
Endrew:
Filed amicus
Question of level of ‘benefit’ special education must provide
SCOTUS and Education

16. Get Involved, Stay Engaged
AASA Advocacy Conference July 10-12
AASA Policy Blog The Leading Edge
AASA Advocacy on Twitter
Weekly & Monthly Updates
Websites & Newsletters
EdWeek
Politics K12
Morning Education (Politico)
Real Clear Education
Cabinet Report

17. 2017: Superintendent Advocacy Challenge
Can you commit to 5 minutes a week?
YOU know your story. A little lobbying secret: Everything you need to know to lobby, you learned in kindergarten: CUT & PASTE
Identify one theme/topic per month, and share the same information with your full delegation
As you do more direct advocacy, rely on your membership benefits of belonging to both your state association and AASA
Topic summaries, one pagers, talking points, contact information

18. AASA Policy & Advocacy Team
Leslie Finnan @LeslieFinnan
Noelle Ellerson Ng @noellerson
Sasha Pudelski @Spudelski

19. AASA Legislative Agenda
ESSA
Student Data & Privacy
School Nutrition
Charters
Perkins Career/Tech
Higher Education Act
IDEA
Early Education
Rural Education (REAP, Forest Counties, Impact Aid)
Affordable Care Act
Regulations: DoL and EPA
School Vouchers
Immigration / DACA
E-Rate/Lifeline/EBS
More?
AASA Legislative Agenda