AFSA GEB Motion
Whereas, America’s public schools are continuing to grapple with a host of significant issues as they emerge from the pandemic, including burgeoning student and educator mental health challenges, widespread achievement gaps in core academic areas, persistent educator shortages, and repeated school violence incidents;
Whereas, the federal government continues to provide critical support to address these and other education issues through annual appropriations, COVID relief funds, and other targeted legislation to bolster state and local education funding;
Whereas, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved draconian legislation, entitled the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, that would cap overall federal funding for FY2024 at FY 2022 levels, leading to deep cuts in education spending, severe reductions in services for all students, potential layoffs of educators, and the curtailment of professional development programs for educators that remain in their positions;
Whereas, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 would also limit total federal funding increases to 1% for each of the next 9 years, which fails to keep pace with the current 5% annual inflation estimate and which is well-short of the President’s proposed 13.6% increase in the FY 2024 US Department Education budget; and
Therefore, the AFSA GEB opposes the House of Representatives’ approval of the short-sighted, financially ruinous, and public education damaging Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, and urges the U.S. Senate and the President to reject this legislation in its entirety; and
Furthermore, AFSA encourages Congress to continue to make the strong investments in public education necessary to improve student and educator mental health, close achievement gaps, attract educators to the profession, and put a stop to school violence incidents.