Bernie Sanders’s K-12 Proposal Would More Than Double the Federal Education Budget: 6 of His Top Spending Priorities
After advocating for the limitation of charter schools, Senator Bernie Sanders has unveiled an extensive K-12 platform that is arguably the most detailed among the major presidential candidates. The platform covers a wide range of K-12 policies, including protection for LGBT students, teacher salaries, special education, and notably, a significant increase in spending.
Named the "Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education" in honor of the Supreme Court justice who fought against school segregation, Sanders’ plan calls for a substantial investment in children, teachers, and schools, as well as a reconsideration of the unjust and inequitable funding of the public education system, according to his campaign website.
While the individual proposals have their merits, implementing all of them would require an astonishing amount of money – more than double the current budget. Some proposals lack specific price tags, such as creating a fund to train teachers at historically black colleges. Others, such as the plan to improve school infrastructure, would be a one-time investment. Additionally, raising teacher salaries to a minimum of $60,000 and establishing a minimum per-pupil spending level would likely necessitate additional state funding.
Excluding the unspecified and one-time expenses, the Education Department’s budget would need to increase by an additional $74 billion per year. Currently, its funding stands at around $71 billion annually. This figure does not include higher education proposals, such as Sanders’ plan for free college, or any changes to early childhood programs.
Below are some of the most costly proposals and their estimated additional expenses:
1. Triple Title I funding: $32 billion
This proposal would triple the current funding of $15.86 billion. Therefore, it would require an additional $31.72 billion annually, totaling $47.58 billion per year.
2. Increase special education funding: $30 billion
Sanders aims to raise the federal government’s share of special education funding from the existing amount to 50%. Based on previous calculations, achieving this would require an additional $29.75 billion per year, resulting in a total of $43 billion annually.
3. Establish a new community schools program: $5 billion
Sanders proposes allocating $5 billion to establish a new community schools program, which currently does not exist. In contrast, House Democrats have proposed spending $260 million in the upcoming fiscal year.
4. Increase funding for afterschool and summer programs: $3.8 billion
Sanders intends to raise the funding for these programs to $5 billion, compared to the current $1.2 billion. The Trump administration has attempted to eliminate this funding three times, resulting in public outrage – a point Sanders addresses in his campaign materials.
5. Allocate additional funding for career and technical education: $3.7 billion
Investing in Career and Technical Education (CTE) has bipartisan support. Sanders calls for a $5 billion federal grant program for CTE, compared to the current $1.3 billion provided annually under the existing spending deal.
6. Provide more funds for magnet schools: $893 million
Sanders proposes an increase to $1 billion for the federal magnet school program, which currently receives $107 million. These schools, which promote desegregation, would benefit from the new funding in an effort to integrate them further, according to Sanders.
In conclusion, Sanders’ K-12 platform presents ambitious ideas that cover a wide spectrum of educational aspects. However, implementing these proposals would require a substantial increase in funding.
