by Erika Hoffman, CSBA Legislative Advocate
On March 1, the sequester – the automatic, across-the-board federal budget cuts to both defense and non-defense programs – took effect. The federal Office of Management and Budget issued orders notifying agencies to make spending cuts.
Although some education programs – such as Impact Aid and Head Start – will be affected immediately, most education program will not see the impact of cuts until the next federal allocation. Officials confirm that funding cuts will be deducted from each state’s July 2013 allocation for programs such as Titles I, II and III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Carl Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, U.S. Department of Education and others.
It is highly unlikely that any changes to the sequester will occur outside a package of legislation on the federal budget. Funding for FY 2013, which began on October 1, 2012, is authorized via a continuing resolution, or CR. However, the CR is due to expire next week, on March 27. Both the House and Senate are working on a long-term CR to carry through the end of the current FY 2013. The House has passed their version of the CR, which would include an additional across the board cut for all non-defense discretionary spending that is in addition to the 5 percent sequestration cut. The Senate is working on their CR legislation this week.
Resources about the sequester are available at csba.org. School Innovations & Achievement, a business affiliate of CSBA, is also offering a series of free webinars on sequestration this month through April 4. Learn more and register here.
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