THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 12, 1996 TAG: 9609120325
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 122 lines
The $6.7 million in federal Goals 2000 education funds that Virginia officials rejected earlier this year has been accepted - by California and Texas, by North Carolina and Maryland - in fact, by each of the other 49 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Department of Education has divided and redistributed Virginia's allocation, the state's congressional delegation was informed Wednesday.
Virginia's Board of Education rejected the money at the urging of Gov. George F. Allen, arguing that it came with too many requirements that compromised the state's control of its own education system. The decision went against the wishes of most of the state's school districts and the General Assembly.
The other 49 states ultimately disagreed - even New Hampshire, a final holdout with Virginia, which wound up with an extra $24,476 from Virginia's share, or enough to hire a young teacher for a year or buy more than a dozen computers.
The biggest gainers from Virginia's refusal to accept the money were California, which added $797,641 to its school funding; Texas, which added $553,378, and New York, $513,129. Neighboring North Carolina received an additional $146,774 from Virginia's unused share; Maryland, $101,963; Washington, D. C., $28,873; Kentucky, $109,326; Tennessee, $121,001; and West Virginia, $52,978.
Goals 2000 distributed $358.3 million in all for fiscal year 1996. The federal education money was designed to help states raise academic standards. While Washington officials said no strings were attached, opponents like Virginia's Allen argued that it would subject localities to burdensome paperwork and would open the door to federal control of public-school curriculum traditionally reserved for the states.
Wednesday's news was ``distressing'' for Cheri W. James, president of the Virginia Education Association, which represents many of the state's teachers. She said the state's schools have many needs.
``These funds are now going to provide a better quality of education for other children,'' James said. ``I think it's a shame.
``It's also distressing that you have a governor who has spoken so much about local control, and the school boards are saying we want the funds, we want to participate, and he says, `No.' That's not local control. That's local control if the state will permit you.''
Republicans and Democrats had urged Virginia officials to accept the money. Bob Dole, then a Kansas senator and now the Republican presidential candidate, wrote Allen and other governors in May, urging them to accept the Goals 2000 money. Dole wrote that a provision allowed states to use 100 percent of the money for classroom computers or other technologies.
Allen and members of the Board of Education were interested, but when they checked, the Education Department told them they could use only ``some of the money'' for computers, and still had to meet certain Goals 2000 requirements, said Ken Stroupe, an Allen spokesman.
``And those were the strings from the beginning that we were concerned about,'' Stroupe said Wednesday. ``It was not as it was portrayed, as an outright grant for computers in the classroom.''
Goals 2000 funding is considered by Congress on a year-by-year basis. If the program is funded again for fiscal 1997, Virginia will be eligible.
The $6.7 million in federal Goals 2000 education funds that Virginia officials rejected earlier this year has been accepted - by California and Texas, by North Carolina and Maryland - in fact, by each of the other 49 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Department of Education has divided and redistributed Virginia's allocation, the state's congressional delegation was informed Wednesday.
Virginia's Board of Education rejected the money at the urging of Gov. George F. Allen, arguing that it came with too many requirements that compromised the state's control of its own education system. The decision went against the wishes of most of the state's school districts and the General Assembly.
The other 49 states ultimately disagreed - even New Hampshire, a final holdout with Virginia, which wound up with an extra $24,476 from Virginia's share, or enough to hire a young teacher for a year or buy more than a dozen computers.
The biggest gainers from Virginia's refusal to accept the money were California, which added $797,641 to its school funding; Texas, which added $553,378, and New York, $513,129. Neighboring North Carolina received an additional $146,774 from Virginia's unused share; Maryland, $101,963; Washington, D. C., $28,873; Kentucky, $109,326; Tennessee, $121,001; and West Virginia, $52,978.
Goals 2000 distributed $358.3 million in all for fiscal year 1996. The federal education money was designed to help states raise academic standards. While Washington officials said no strings were attached, opponents like Virginia's Allen argued that it would subject localities to burdensome paperwork and would open the door to federal control of public-school curriculum traditionally reserved for the states.
Wednesday's news was ``distressing'' for Cheri W. James, president of the Virginia Education Association, which represents many of the state's teachers. She said the state's schools have many needs.
``These funds are now going to provide a better quality of education for other children,'' James said. ``I think it's a shame.
``It's also distressing that you have a governor who has spoken so much about local control, and the school boards are saying we want the funds, we want to participate, and he says, `No.' That's not local control. That's local control if the state will permit you.''
Republicans and Democrats had urged Virginia officials to accept the money. Bob Dole, then a Kansas senator and now the Republican presidential candidate, wrote Allen and other governors in May, urging them to accept the Goals 2000 money. Dole wrote that a provision allowed states to use 100 percent of the money for classroom computers or other technologies.
Allen and members of the Board of Education were interested, but when they checked, the Education Department told them they could use only ``some of the money'' for computers, and still had to meet certain Goals 2000 requirements, said Ken Stroupe, an Allen spokesman.
``And those were the strings from the beginning that we were concerned about,'' Stroupe said Wednesday. ``It was not as it was portrayed, as an outright grant for computers in the classroom.''
Goals 2000 funding is considered by Congress on a year-by-year basis. If the program is funded again for fiscal 1997, Virginia will be eligible. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
The Big Winners
What some states received from Virginia's share.
California: $797,641
Texas: $553,378
New York, $513,129:
North Carolina: $146,774
Maryland: $101,963
Washington, D.C.: $28,873
Kentucky: $109,326
Tennessee: $121,001
KEYWORDS: GOALS 2000 FEDERAL FUNDING EDUCATION by CNB