[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 139 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                      October 29, 1997.
Whereas we know that effective teaching takes place when we begin: (1) helping 
        children master basic academics; (2) engaging and involving parents; (3) 
        creating safe and orderly classrooms; and (4) getting dollars to the 
        classroom;
Whereas our Nation's children deserve an educational system which will provide 
        opportunities to excel;
Whereas States and localities must spend a significant amount of Federal 
        education tax dollars applying for and administering Federal education 
        dollars;
Whereas several States have reported that although they receive less than 10 
        percent of their education funding from the Federal Government, more 
        than 50 percent of their paperwork is associated with those Federal 
        dollars;
Whereas while it is unknown exactly what percentage of Federal education dollars 
        reaches the classroom, a recent audit of New York City public schools 
        found that only 43 percent of their local education budget reaches the 
        classroom. Further, it is thought that only 85 percent of funds 
        administered by the United States Department of Education for elementary 
        and secondary education reach the school district level. Even if 65 
        percent of Federal education funds presently reach the classroom, it 
        still means that billions of dollars are not directly spent on children 
        in the classroom;
Whereas American students are not performing up to their full academic 
        potential, despite significant Federal education initiatives, which span 
        multiple Federal agencies;
Whereas, according to the Digest of Education Statistics, in 1993 only 
        $141,598,786,000 out of $265,285,370,000 spent on elementary and 
        secondary education was spent on ``instruction'';
Whereas, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 1994 only 
        52 percent of staff employed in public elementary and secondary school 
        systems were teachers;
Whereas too much of our Federal education funding is spent on bureaucracy and 
        too little is spent on our Nation's youth;
Whereas getting 90 percent of Department of Education elementary and secondary 
        education funds to the classroom could provide substantial additional 
        funding per classroom across the United States;
Whereas more education funding should be put in the hands of someone in a 
        child's classroom who knows the child's name;
Whereas burdensome regulations and mandates should be removed so that school 
        districts can devote more resources to children in classrooms;
Whereas President Clinton has stated: ``We cannot ask the American people to 
        spend more on education until we do a better job with the money we've 
        got now.'';
Whereas President Clinton and Vice President Gore agree that the reinventing of 
        public education will not begin in Washington but in communities across 
        America and that we must ask fundamental questions about how our public 
        school systems' dollars are spent; and
Whereas President Clinton and Vice President Gore agree that in an age of tight 
        budgets, we should be spending public funds on teachers and children, 
        not on unnecessary overhead and bloated bureaucracy: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives urges the Congress, the 
Department of Education, States, and local educational agencies to--
            (1) determine the extent to which Federal elementary and secondary 
        education dollars are currently reaching the classroom;
            (2) work together to remove barriers that currently prevent a 
        greater percentage of funds from reaching the classroom; and
            (3) work toward the goal that at least 90 percent of the Department 
        of Education elementary and secondary education program funds will 
        ultimately reach classrooms, when feasible and consistent with 
        applicable law.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.