SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 74

(By Senators Plymale, Edgell, Bailey, Dempsey, Hunter, Oliverio, Unger, White and Guills)

[Originating in the Committee on Education]


Requesting the President of the United States and the United States Congress improve the quality of the nation's public schools by substantially increasing funding for the No Child Left Behind Act, the Higher Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other education-related programs.

Whereas, West Virginia has long pursued the goal of improving the academic performance of all students; and
Whereas, The Legislature, therefore, applauds the President of the United States and the United States Congress for putting forth the same goal in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and emphasizing the urgency in improving the performance of these students; and
Whereas, The No Child Left Behind Act has encouraged some needed changes in public education and was initially accompanied with modest increases in federal funding for public elementary and secondary education; and
Whereas, Increases in federal funding since the first several years of the No Child Left Behind Act have been minimal; and
Whereas, The federal government has decreased funding for No Child Left Behind in the fiscal year 2006 by $793 million; decreased funding for post-secondary education by $166 million; and decreased funding for programs that serve students with disabilities by $21 million; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby requests the President of the United States and the United States Congress to improve the quality of the nation's public schools by substantially increasing funding for the No Child Left Behind Act, the Higher Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other education- related programs; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislature requests the President of the United States, the United States Congress and the United States Department of Education offer various states waivers, exemptions or whatever flexibility possible regarding the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act in any year that federal funding for public elementary and secondary education is decreased to prevent states from spending state and local resources on activities that have not proven effective in raising student achievement and may not be the priority of an individual state; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of the United States Department of Education and each member of West Virginia's congressional delegation.