Examining the Potential Consequences of Recent Legislative Proposals on Missouri’s Educational Landscape
Congressional Republicans are holding the nation’s full faith and credit hostage in an effort to impose draconian cuts that would hurt children and undermine education, raise costs for hardworking families, and set back economic growth. And they are demanding slashing critical funding while also advancing proposals to add over $3 trillion to deficits through tax giveaways skewed to the wealthy and big corporations.
While President Biden’s plan invests an additional $11 billion to improve education while lowering everyday costs of essentials like child-care for families, House Republicans’ proposal to cut a broad range of critical programs by 22% will have devastating impacts on children and students from Pre-K to college.
In Missouri, the extreme House Republican bill would:
Gut Funding for Low-Income Students.
The proposal would cut approximately $57 million in Title I funding for Missouri schools serving low-income children, impacting an estimated 440,000 students and reducing program funding to its lowest level in almost a decade—a cut equivalent to removing nearly 900 teachers and specialized instructional support personnel from classrooms.
Cut Support for Students with Disabilities.
Under the proposal, as many as 126,000 children in Missouri with disabilities would face reduced supports—a cut in IDEA funding equivalent to removing approximately 900 teachers and related services providers from the classroom.
Slash Mental Health Support for Students.
The House Republican proposal would limit educators’ abilities to address student mental health issues, including through violence, suicide, and drug abuse prevention, by cutting Title IV, Part A funding for Missouri schools by about $4.7 million.
Eliminate Student Debt Relief.
The proposal would cancel President Biden’s student debt relief plan, keeping much needed emergency student loan relief of up to $20,000 from 305,000 approved applicants across Missouri recovering from the effects of the pandemic. It would also block the creation of new, more affordable student loan payment plans.
Make College More Expensive for 305,000 Missourians.
The House Republicans’ proposal would not only likely eliminate Pell Grants altogether for 1,400 students in Missouri, it would also reduce the maximum award by nearly $1,000 for the remaining 305,000 students who receive Pell Grants—making it harder for them to attend and afford college.
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