United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1998-09-30 monographic deposited born digital 96 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-98-232 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232 P0b002ee18038df9e f:he98232 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232 HEHS-98-232 State-administered programs School districts Elementary education Aid for education School management and organization Secondary education Funds management Waivers Federal regulations Compensatory education Individualized Education Program National School Lunch Program Dept. of Education Title I Program Other Written Product HEHS The wide range of federal requirements that affect school districts reflect a host of policy goals and program objectives, such as ensuring equal educational opportunity and promoting high-quality instruction. Many of these federal requirements--especially those that most directly affect teaching--come with federal dollars, but others do not. Federal laws and regulations affect school districts in many ways, from the food they serve in their cafeterias to the special education programs they offer for the disabled to the construction and maintenance of school buildings. Federal requirements are augmented by state and local requirements as well as by court decisions. The school district officials GAO spoke with generally supported federal programs and mandates. At the same time, they voiced concerns about (1) the difficulty in obtaining accurate, timely, and sufficiently detailed information about federal requirements and federal funding; (2) the limited funds available to meet program and administrative costs; and (3) the logistical and management challenges posed by some requirements, such as those that specify timelines for completing procedural tasks or require specialized personnel. Several initiatives have been designed and implemented during the last five years to give school districts greater flexibility. For example, school districts may be able to obtain waivers from federal requirements and can sometimes combine or transfer federal program funds. However, the initiatives generally are not structured to address the information, funding, and management issues that school districts cited as their primary concerns. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232.pdf GAO/HEHS-98-232 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-232 Other Written Product GAO/HEHS-98-232; Elementary and Secondary Education: Flexibility; State-administered programs School districts Elementary education Aid for education School management and organization Secondary education Funds management Waivers Federal regulations Compensatory education Individualized Education Program National School Lunch Program Dept. of Education Title I Program Public Law 104-149