[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 138 (Wednesday, October 13, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENSE OF THE HOUSE URGING 95 PERCENT OF FEDERAL EDUCATION DOLLARS BE 
                         SPENT IN THE CLASSROOM

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                               speech of

                         HON. DAVID M. McINTOSH

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 12, 1999

  Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Resolution 303 expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
that 95 percent of Federal education dollars be spent in the classroom. 
Currently as few as 65 cents of every Federal education dollar is 
reaching the place where it can do the most good. In some places across 
the country, the discrepancy is even greater. Consumed by the 
bureaucracy and special interests, funds are not reaching the people 
for whom they are meant--the children.
  During the 105th Congress, the Education Subcommittee on Oversight 
and Reform investigated the trail of Federal dollars from the 
taxpayer's pocket book through the government money mill and back to 
the schoolhouse. In the course their investigations, they discovered 
quite a few leaks in the system. Taxpayer money is lost at each level 
on bureaucracy, paperwork, and other nonclassroom-centered activities.
  Every year, millions of dollars, hours of work, and talent are lost 
on paperwork. Using resources which should be spent in the classroom on 
children, paperwork places a burden on teachers and local 
administrators taking them away from the most important work they 
perform.
  According to the Education at a Crossroads Report released last year 
by the Education Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations the U.S. 
Department of Education requires over 48.6 million hours' worth of 
paperwork per year--or the equivalent of 25,000 employees working full-
time. Without fully accounting for all the attachments and supplemental 
submissions required with each application, the Committee counted more 
than 20,000 pages of applications states must fill out to receive 
federal education funds each year.
  One governor noted in his testimony that local schools in his state 
had to submit as many as 170 federal reports totaling more than 700 
pages during a single year. This report also noted that more than 50 
percent of the paperwork required by a local school is a result of 
federal programs which account for 6 percent of the funding.
  Principal Steve Hall of Muncie, Indiana who administers Federal funds 
for schools in my home town recently told me, ``We still recommend and 
request a reduction in grant preparation and paperwork for the Title I 
program for our school district. If this preparation was reduced, we 
could spend more time for planning and preparing to work with high-
needs students, and the more time with students means more educational 
success for our students.''
  Directing money away from paperwork and toward students has become a 
high priority for me during the reauthorization of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act. I am a proud co-sponsor of this resolution 
because I believe it should serve as a guide for every piece of 
education legislation we write this Congress.
  The resolution clearly spells out our education priorities and draws 
a clear distinction between our vision and that of our opponents. We 
believe local educators are the best people to make resource allocation 
decisions about students, not Washington bureaucrats. Educators 
understand their students' background and needs and can respond 
directly to them. We trust parents and teachers to use the money to 
best meet the unique needs of children in their care.
  This resolution raises the bar urging nothing less than 95 percent of 
funds go to children. We must prioritize the way we spend our education 
dollars, and put children first. It is that simple. It is the standard 
I intend to use while in Congress and throughout my career in public 
service. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and use its 
principles to guide their efforts in reforming education.

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