WAGNER WANTS COST STUDY OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT

     HARRISBURG, March 24, 2004 - While the goals are laudable, costs associated with the federal No Child Left Behind Act need an independent study, according to State Senator Jack Wagner, D-Allegheny.

     “I’m introducing a resolution that asks for an independent, bipartisan look at how much of a financial burden the No Child Left Behind Act is having on Pennsylvania schools,” Wagner said. “The idea behind the Act is admirable, but Pennsylvania homeowners can’t continue to foot the bill.”

     Wagner’s resolution calls for the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the State’s costs associated with complying with the NCLB act of 2001.

     “The message I’m getting from school officials around the state is that school districts are having difficulty raising the money needed to meet the mandated requirements of the Act,” Wagner said, “and that’s because the Act is an unfunded mandate.”

     A recent report from the Pennsylvania Department of Education showed that over 1,000 schools failed to meet NCLB requirements last year. This failure to comply may result in the state losing close to $8 million in Federal education funding next year.