The Budget

How is education affected by the budget?


Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation. The structure of education finance in America reflects this predominant State and local role. Of an estimated $1 trillion being spent nationwide on education at all levels for school year 2007-2008, a substantial majority will come from State, local, and private sources. This is especially true at the elementary and secondary level, where just over 91 percent of the funds will come from non-Federal sources.

What cuts have been made recently to education?


Although there haven’t been any major cuts recently in the budget there have been some changes in the staffing numbers and distributions of responsibilities. The number of employees hasn’t changed since the beginning of the 1980s but the Department of Education has taken on more responsibilities.How important is education in the budget?
Education accounts for a little less than 9 percent of the budget in America right now. Numbers wise education doesn’t seem like it is that important but it actually helps in many ways. The Department of Education receives funding that also helps with other programs such as the Department of Health and Human Services' Head Start program and the Department of Agriculture's School Lunch program.

How much money is education allocated by the budget? / How much is appropriated?


Roughly $1 trillion dollars is allocated to the education system each year and $68.6 million is appropriated from Congress. Again the education system makes up roughly 9 percent of the national budget.