Biden administration releases full FY 2022 budget proposal, increases afterschool funding

On May 28, the Biden administration released its full FY 2022 discretionary budget request, about six weeks after releasing an initial budget blueprint. With regard to education, the proposal includes $1.31 billion for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers, an increase of $52 million over the FY 2021 level, as well as historic funding levels requested for full-service community schools and Title I, which provides funding to high poverty schools. The full budget proposal now heads to Congress where the House of Representatives has already begun the FY 2022 appropriations process which will continue in full force in June, followed by work in the Senate. 

The FY 2022 budget request seeks a historic investment in high-poverty schools to address entrenched disparities in education through proposing a $36.5 billion investment in Title I grants which is a $20 billion increase from the 2021 enacted level. According to the Biden Administration, this investment would provide historically under-resourced schools with the funding needed to deliver a high-quality education to all of their students. Among the allowable uses for Title I, funds can be used by high need school districts to support afterschool and summer learning programs.

Additionally, the budget request prioritizes the physical and mental well-being of students coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the profound effect of physical and mental health on academic achievement, the discretionary request provides $443 million for Full Service Community Schools, which play a critical role in providing comprehensive wrap-around services to students and their families, from afterschool, to adult education opportunities, and health and nutrition services.

Specific funding levels in the budget proposal for education programs that support afterschool and summer include:

• The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers: $1.30 billion, $52 million above the 2021 enacted level of $1.25 billion. This is the largest funding stream exclusively for afterschool and summer learning and provides 1.7 million students with quality programming outside of the school day.
• Title I Grants to Local Education Agencies: $36.5 billion, an increase of $20 billion above the 2021 enacted level. Title I provides basic and flexible funding to low-income school districts to improve student outcomes. Schools are able to spend Title I funds on afterschool and summer learning programs.
• Title II-A Funds for Teacher Professional Development $2.149 billion, an increase of $13 million over the 2021 enacted level.
• Title IV Full Service Community Schools: $443 million, an increase of $413 million, to provide comprehensive services and expand evidence-based models that meet the holistic needs of children, families, and communities.
• Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants: $1.220 billion, level with the 2021 enacted level. These funds for school districts established under ESSA support activities that provide students with a well-rounded education, ensure safe and supportive learning environments, and use technology to improve instruction. Allowable uses for the grant include support for afterschool STEM activities. 
• Child Care Access Means Parents in School: $138 million, an increase of $83 million above the 2021 enacted level.
• TRIO and GEAR UP: $1.297 billion for Federal TRIO programs, an increase of $200 million above the 2021 enacted level. Additionally, $408 million for GEAR UP, an increase of $40 million above the 2021 enacted level.
• Education, Innovation, and Research (EIR): $194 million, an increase of $3 million above the 2021 enacted level. EIR funds have been used in past years for STEM education as well as evidence-based, field-initiated innovations that address student social and emotional learning needs. 
• Career, Technical Education (CTE): $1.36 billion, an increase of $20 million for the Perkins V CTE program. 

And in the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies:

• Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG): $7.34 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion over the FY 2021 enacted level; in addition to supporting child care for children ages birth through five, the CCDBG funds afterschool programs for just under one million school-age children.
• Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS): $1.12 billion, $89.2 million increase above the 2021 enacted level. CNCS supports AmeriCorps and VISTA that are a key asset for hundreds of afterschool programs.
• Youth Mentoring: $120 million for FY 2021 to support mentoring programs including those provided through afterschool programs, an increase of $20 million over FY 2021.

This budget proposal serves as an appropriations outline for the administration, and will likely factor heavily into the government funding bills for FY 2022 that the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will be crafting this spring and summer. Congress does not enact exactly what the president requests, although usually a Congress of the same party as the president will try to include at least key priorities from the president’s request. The FY 2022 appropriations bills are scheduled to be completed before the end of this fiscal year on September 30, although realistically the budget may be finalized much later in the calendar year. Now is a good time to reach out to Congress to thank them for supporting afterschool and summer in the American Rescue Plan and to emphasize the need to support 21st CCLC and afterschool and summer funding moving forward.