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By Kathleen Lucadamo The feds are cheating the city out of $3.3 billion in education funds - money promised to help kids pass a slew of new standardized tests, Rep. Anthony Weiner charged Saturday. When it was signed in 2002, the No Child Left Behind bill banked $6 billion for city schools, based on the number of poor children taking tests. But the program budget approved each year fell short of Bush's benchmark, resulting in a cumulative shortfall of $3.3 billion for city, Weiner said. In 2007, for instance, Bush promised $1.8 billion to city schools, but the feds delivered only $834 million - a 54% shortfall, according to Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens). "It was a Republican Congress and Republican President, and I voted against every education budget for this reason," he said. "No Child Left Behind was a compromise, except we didn't get the money. We have the new regulations in place, a battery of new tests, but not the funding," he said. The underfunding affected all five boroughs, with the Bronx and Brooklyn taking the biggest hits, getting 54% less than the sweeping schools bill pledged. Staten Island showed the smallest shortfall - 49% less than promised. New York wasn't alone, Weiner said, estimating that nationally, schools have been shortchanged $70.9 billion since 2003. The Democratic-controlled Congress is reviewing the controversial education law this fall. It expires next year and must be reauthorized. "No Child Left Behind is on life support," said Weiner, adding, "It will take a lot of persuading to get me to vote for another six years of this." |
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