[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 138 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1729-E1731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              H.R. 2127 LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS

                                 ______


                        HON. MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 6, 1995
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree that the right to 
an education is one of the most important rights we have in the United 
States.
  Long ago, we realized that all Americans must have access to 
education if our Nation and our citizens are to prosper. However, the 
new majority leadership is undermining education in this country.
  They cut $4 billion from education, reducing the Federal Commitment 
by 16 percent.
  Do they assume that States and localities will pick up where the 
Federal Government will leave off?
  In my State or California, it took a lot of arm-twisting to allocate 
another $1 billion for education, raising California's per pupil 
expenditure rank from 42nd to 40th among the 50 States. Parents, school 
board members, and school districts are pleading that Federal funds be 
restored.
  I submit some of these statements from school districts in my 
district for the record.
  Schools will not be able to continue to provide many services that 
our most disadvantaged children rely upon. Mr. Speaker, this is 
irrational and mean spirited.
                                Azusa Unified School District,

                                        Azusa, CA, August 1, 1995.
     Representative Matthew Martinez,
     Rayburn House Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Martinez: Azusa Unified School District 
     respectfully requests your support to express our opposition 
     to the $4 billion in cuts the House Appropriations Committee 
     is currently considering to elementary, secondary and higher 
     education programs previously recommended by an 
     appropriations subcommittee. These congressional cuts would 
     slash critical education and training initiatives in 
     California and would reduce education funding by 17 percent 
     while other discretionary programs have only been reduced by 
     two-five percent.
       The following critical educational program areas affected 
     are the Safe & Drug Free Schools with a $282 million cut and 
     a $25 million funding loss to California. This cut comes at a 
     time when parents, educators and communities are seeking a 
     safer learning environment for California's students. 
     Vocational Education programs administered by the U.S. Dept. 
     of Education would be cut by $300 million. California would 
     lose approximately $30 million in vocational education 
     funding--a 3 percent cut for the state. Title I funding would 
     be cut by $1.1 billion. California would lose approximately 
     $130 million and the more than 236,000 needy California 
     pupils that benefit from this program will be impacted. Cuts 
     to Title I hit hardest those schools and students that are 
     most in need. Impact Aid would be cut by $83 million 
     nationwide. California would lose approximately $8 million 
     directly affecting California's more than 200 Impact Aid 
     districts. Bilingual Education would be drastically cut by 
     about 75 percent. California would lose approximately $37 
     million in bilingual funding and districts would be forced to 
     significantly cut back on the number of students served. More 
     than one-quarter of California's 5.3 million kindergarten 
     through 12th grade students have limited-English proficiency. 
     Providing the appropriate services is increasingly 
     challenging in California's schools, where nearly 100 
     different languages are spoken. Goals 2000 would be 
     completely eliminated. In California approximately 96 percent 
     of all school districts, including Azusa Unified, have 
     indicated to the California Dept. of Education that they 
     desire to utilize Goals 2000 funds. California would end up 
     losing $30 million from this program. These diverse programs 
     are developed at the local level to reexamine existing school 
     programs in order to better serve students.
       Adequate state funding for education and crucial, 
     deserving, and equally needed programs will not be available 
     if these cuts are approved. School districts, such as Azusa 
     Unified, desperately need additional revenue to continue to 
     provide necessary programs to assist children within 
     California. It is our concern that the approval of this final 
     Appropriations bill will negatively affect our district's 
     educational programs.
           Sincerely,
                                                Inez Z. Gutierrez,
     President, Board of Education.
                                                                    ____

                                                     Baldwin Park,


                                      Unified School District,

                                  Baldwin Park, CA, July 20, 1995.
     Hon. Matthew Martinez,
     U.S. House of Representatives, Rayburn Building, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Representative Martinez: I have just learned of the 
     proposed cuts to numerous educational programs proposed by 
     the House Subcommittee on Labor/Health & Human Services/
     Education Appropriations and am writing to express my outrage 
     and concern for the students and families who will 
     dramatically affected by the Committee's actions. By reducing 
     programs between 20% and 100%, the Committee is choosing to 
     deny students learning experiences that make a difference in 
     a child's life. The need for maintenance of educational 
     funding from the federal government is critical to the 
     success of schools. The educational system provides students 
     and families with numerous opportunities of success. Imagine 
     how many students learn for the first time to read a word or 
     write a sentence as well as work addition and multiplication 
     problems. The Committee's decision to slash numerous programs 
     will reduce the effectiveness of teachers resulting in poor 
     student performance and ultimately greater social strife.
       The Committee's actions deny children a comprehensive, 
     appropriate education. The cutbacks slated for the identified 
     programs reflect this observation which have myriad social 
     implications. It is unconscionable that educational programs 
     would be targeted for reduction and include slashing Title I 
     by $1.1 billion; eliminating the Goals 2000 program; 
     splitting the Safe & Drug-Free Schools funds in half; cutting 
     Bilingual Education by 55 percent; reducing Vocational 
     Education by 

[[Page E 1730]]
     28 percent; and trimming Education Technology by 55 percent.
       It makes no sense to cut programs which impact all 
     districts across this country in positive dimensions. As an 
     example, planned Title 1 funding reductions would eliminate 
     related activities by \1/5\ or one day out of five in our 
     nation's schools. All Title 1 students and parents would have 
     lessened Math and Reading activities because of the 
     Committee's decision to reduce educational funding.
       What will be some resultants of the Committee's actions: 
     reduced direct teaching time, especially Math and Reading, 
     for students who need it the most; lessened assistance for 
     students, parents, and teachers in the arena of drug 
     prevention education; a significant increase in lessons 
     taught in a students non-understanding language which will 
     cause students to fall further behind in attaining their 
     education; an increase student drug use because of lack of 
     knowledge and appropriate decision making; expended school 
     violence and confrontation; greater numbers of parents who 
     are distraught over their child's performance and lack of 
     resources because of educational cutbacks; a drop in the 
     opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to partake in 
     technology based programs; and less prepared students to work 
     in vocational fields among other resultants.
       California already suffers from one of the highest teacher 
     to student ratios in the United States. The actions of 
     Congress to eliminate Title 1 will force districts across the 
     state and country to layoff teaching assistants who provide a 
     worthwhile service to students. Greater student to teacher 
     ratios would be anticipated.
       I ask you, where is the leadership to provide schools with 
     the basics so that they can provide a decent education to 
     children? If you think that schools are not performing well 
     currently, there will be an even greater backlash.
       I am in favor of budget cutbacks. However, I would suggest 
     that the Congress look to numerous other programs like 
     agricultural subsidies and non-significant funded projects. 
     At the same time Congress could vote to reduce spending by a 
     given percentage, yet legislate that departments 
     determination the reduction.
       Education is the foundation of our country from which all 
     industry and decision making flows. The educational system is 
     what makes our country great so I ask you not to partake in 
     dismantling our country's backbone.
       Please demonstrate to the country and the State of 
     California the need for maintaining funding for education 
     from the federal government.
           Sincerely,
     Peter J. Knapik.  
                                                                    ____

                                     Alhambra School District,

                                    Alhambra, CA, July 28, 1995.  
     Hon. Matthew Martinez,
     U.S. House of Representatives, Rayburn Building, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Congressman Martinez: Educators and Administrators in 
     the Alhambra, California School District regard the recent 
     vote of the House Subcommittee on Labor/Health & Human 
     Services/Education Appropriations to drastically reduce 
     funding for Title I services and to eliminate the Goals 2000 
     program as a direct assault on the school children of 
     California.
       At a time when the State of California in general and Los 
     Angeles County in particular are facing severe budget 
     problems, now, more than ever, school districts need federal 
     support for special needs children and need money for 
     projects to improve America's schools. In fact, this is the 
     vital role envisioned for the federal government as a partner 
     in educating the nation's children.
       Please don't balance the federal budget on the backs of the 
     neediest in our society--our school children. The focus 
     should be on stimulating their ideas and developing their 
     skills to lead the U.S. into the 21st century. Along with the 
     expert guidance of their teachers, we can all be winners in 
     the continuing struggle for quality education.
           Sincerely yours,
                                                  Terry J. Larsen,
     Coordinator, Special Projects K-12.
                                                                    ____



                                       Garvey School District,

                                    Rosemead, CA, July 31, 1995.  
     Hon. Matthew G. Martinez,
     U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Martinez: The Garvey School District, as 
     you know, is an elementary school district serving 7,200 
     students attending kindergarten through grade 8. Of this 
     number of students, 3,300 are limited english proficient and 
     2,400 are non-english proficient. Twenty-four foreign 
     languages are spoken by our student population.
       The space in this letter is not enough to describe the 
     numerous other challenges that we face as we endeavor to 
     respond to the fast-changing and sometimes difficult student 
     population service.
       It is disheartening to learn of the proposal by House 
     Republicans to cut $36 billion from current education and 
     training investments, which would mean a cut of $4.3 billion 
     for California school districts, including ours.
       We believe that federal financial assistance program 
     funding alone will not solve our educational challenges. 
     However, federal funds constitute a significant and critical 
     part of our total budget of $36 million.
       California school districts have had limited options for 
     increasing their local revenues. The reduction in federal 
     funding for programs such as Head Start, Title 1, Goals 2000 
     and Safe and Drug-Free Schools proposed by House Republicans 
     would have a devastating impact on our local school children 
     over the long haul. At the time when California continues to 
     lag in revenue levels compared to that of other states, we as 
     a district, are in no position to absorb the kind of funding 
     cuts that are sure to be inflicted by the Republican 
     proposal.
       As a school district administrator belonging to the every-
     increasing group of people who are being asked to do more 
     with less, I strongly urge you to oppose these cuts as they 
     are harmful to children, to California and to the country.
           Sincerely,
                                                Rolland M. Boceta,
     Director, Business Services.
                                                                    ____

                           Montebello Unified School District,

                                 Montebello, CA, August 1, 1995.  
     Hon. Matthew G. Martinez,
     U.S. House of Representatives, Rayburn Building, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Congressman Martinez: Thank you for your continued 
     support of public education. It is sad to see that many of 
     your fellow representatives do not value educational 
     excellence for our country's children the way you do. If we 
     are going to ask our students to be competitive with the 
     students in other countries. We cannot cut another 
     educational dollar! The federal investment in education is 
     already only 2-3% of the federal tax dollar, yet it has been 
     cut an alarming 18% while other discretionary programs have 
     only been reduced on their growth slowed by 2-5%.
       Leaving it to the states to make up the difference is 
     ignoring the fact that California has been forced to severely 
     cut back its education dollars during our recent devastating 
     recession. We are only now beginning to rebuild and it will 
     take years to get back to at least the average national per 
     pupil expenditure. We do not have the ability to replace the 
     proposed cuts in federal funds and will have to take 
     appropriate actions to balance our already fragile budget.
       These funds truly do make a difference in Montebello 
     Unified School District. Title I dollars help our truly 
     disadvantaged students. Our ``richest'' school has a 45% 
     property rate--our poorest are located in one of the poorest 
     cities in the nation. These students now have access to 
     counseling, tutoring, and computers which reinforce their 
     reading, writing and math skills. We have an almost 50% 
     limited-English speaking population in our district. In one 
     city, students would never have to speak English if it were 
     not for the schools. Cutting bilingual dollars will not help 
     us in our quest to help them become fully proficient in the 
     English language. Our students are also under constant 
     pressure to join gangs and use drugs. Drug usage has once 
     again become a nationwide epidemic and our students are also 
     affected. This is not the time to decrease half of our 
     funding--we should be increasing it!
       Finally, I would like to point out that the major corporate 
     employers and politicians have all said that our students are 
     not ready to be employed when they leave school. One proven 
     way to assist those students who have chosen not to go on to 
     higher education is through vocational education funding. 
     Major programs are being developed to assist the school-to-
     work initiative Cutting back California 30% in vocational 
     education funding will only set us back in our effort to 
     assist those students seeking a viable career after they 
     graduate. My fear is we will see more dropouts instead of the 
     steadily decreasing dropout rate we currently have in our 
     district.
       We sincerely appreciate all your effort to help not only 
     the students in our District, or in the State of California, 
     but to continue to fight for all our children throughout the 
     country. America will not continue to be the great county it 
     is if it continues to ignore the educational needs of its 
     children.
           Very truly yours,
                                               Barbara L. Chavira,
     Vice-President.
                                                                    ____

                          Los Angeles Unified School District,

                                  Los Angeles, CA, August 1, 1995.
     Hon. Matthew Martinez,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Martinez: The staff of the Los Angeles 
     Unified School District is opposed to the current Labor/HHS/
     Education appropriations bill. This legislation would enact 
     billions of dollars in education spending reductions with a 
     potential of great harm to the children who are most in need 
     of educational services.
       Federal involvement in public education at the local level 
     is an integral part of the public school system. It has 
     provided much-needed programs for the disadvantaged student 
     population. To change the commitment of our federal 
     government to the nation's neediest children is to cripple an 
     already stressed system. Our cities and their children do not 
     deserve to be hurt in such a manner.
       Proposed cuts to Title 1, which improves basic skills for 
     disadvantaged children; Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs 
     that work to keep violence and drugs away from schools; job 
     training programs for low-income and dislocated workers; and 
     summer jobs programs for youth who most desperately need hope 
     and a way to be trained in work skills, as well as the 
     elimination of the School Dropout Prevention program from the 
     federal agenda, are ill-conceived.
       Cutting one of these valuable programs would be harmful; 
     cutting all of these and 

[[Page E 1731]]
     many other is dangerous. No state or local government can replace these 
     federal funds to prevent the damage the current 
     appropriations bill would cause.
       We strongly urge you to go on record as opposing the Labor/
     HHS/Education appropriations bill. The role of the federal 
     government should not be to harm children by withdrawing 
     established and effective support.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Ronald Prescott,
                                         Associate Superintendent.
     

                          ____________________