3 Fiscal Cliff Myths, Debunked: How Will Sequestration Really Affect Education?

Are you suffering from Fiscal Cliff fatigue yet? And, even if you are, do you really under stand its implications for education? There are many myths circulating about the dire consequences in store as a result of budget battles in Washington, so if you're anything like me, you went to know the truth. Let's begin with a definition of budget sequestration. In the face of annual budget deficits, sequestration means automatic, across-the-board spending cuts to all federal agencies. This drastic step allows Congress to limit the size of the budget and gives it the right to make mandatory cuts if the cost of running the government exceeds the cap. On March 1, we all watched as Congress was unable to come to an agreement on how to reduce the $16.5 trillion national debt. This triggered the mandatory sequestration procedures: 5 percent across-the-board cuts to federal programs and activities except for those that Congress identified as exempt (such as Social Security and certain parts of the defense budget). Federal funding for education will be cut by $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2013, and the cuts are currently scheduled to continue through the 2021 fiscal year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Based on what we know now, here are soma of the major myths--and the corresponding truths--about how education budgets will be impacted by sequestration. MYTH No. 1: No cuts will take place in education until the 2013-2014 school year. TRUTH: Actually, some cuts have already taken effect. The first districts hit were those who get Impact Aid, which is federal funding that makes up for the shortage in property taxes in districts that are located on or near Native American reservations or military bases. Head Start programs have already had to slash 5 percent from their budgets, totaling about $401 million. Some programs are shutting down earlier in the day. Some may have to shut down for the summer, posing a big problem for poor, working parents. MYTH No. 2: The only cuts impacting education are the $3 billion in cuts to programs funded by the Department of Education. TRUTH: Many other agencies provide funding to education. One example is the money rural schools get from the US Forest Service, $15.6 million of which comes from the Secure Rural Schools Act, which provides funds for 4,400 schools located near national forests. The US Department of Agriculture distributed $323 million to 41 states in January. Now they must return $17.9 million under the sequestration requirements or it will be cut from future allotments. Many rural schools have come to depend on these funds for their basic operations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MYTH No. 3: All programs will be cut so much that will have no money for products, including technology. TRUTH: Here are some of the predicted budget cuts, as reported recently by the Committee for Education Funding: Title I: Sequestration will reduce the $14.7 billion program by nearly $727 million, potentially eliminating support to an estimated 2,700 schools serving 1. …