The U.S. Senate released the budget reconciliation resolution in early August with good news for educators.
The resolution includes $726 billion for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions and states that the following areas, including school infrastructure and other educator investments, will receive support from this allocation:
- Universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds
- Child care for working families
- Tuition-free community college
- Investments in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions
- Increase the maximum Pell grant award
- School infrastructure, student success grants and educator investments
- Investments in primary care, including community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, the Nurse Corps and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program
- Health equity (maternal, behavioral and racial equity health investments)
- Pandemic preparedness
- Workforce development and job training
- Labor enforcement and penalties
- Civilian Climate Corps funding
- Research infrastructure, including for HBCUs, minority-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions
The Senate Commerce Committee also will receive $83 million, which can go for “investments in technology… and more.” Though not specifically called out, this may mean more funding for connecting students at home.