A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                              Contact:  Kathryn Kahler    August 3, 1995                                     (202) 401-3026

In an education alert to President Clinton, Riley said the number of students in elementary and secondary schools soon will eclipse the baby boom generation's peak of 51 million students in 1971. Projections indicate enrollments will exceed the previous record with 53 million students in 1997, increasing to 55 million by 2002. And college enrollment is projected to jump more than 1.3 million students over the next seven years.

Briefing President Clinton, members of Congress, and representatives of education groups at the White House, Riley said he fears the nation will be ill-prepared for the future influx of students -- especially if Congress has its way and slashes funding for education by 19 percent.

"Slashing education is bad for America's children and our nation's future," Riley said. "I have to question the members of Congress who would put less important priorities ahead of arming our children against ignorance and mediocrity by giving them a good start in life."

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering $36 billion in education budget cuts over the next seven years, "posing a threat to the security of the nation" at time when schools are faced with serving significantly more students, Riley said. "The gap between the unparalleled increase in students and the unprecedented cut in educational investment is the education gap that our nation faces.

"The children of the famous post-war baby boom are now parents sending their own children to school," he said. "But, in these increasingly tough times, Congress is placing the burden on states and communities to find the resources to improve the quality of American education."

These cuts represent "a tidal wave of teenagers who won't get the basic skills they need, the high standards and disciplined learning environment they deserve, and the opportunity they need to go to college."

As Riley spoke, the House was preparing to ratify a $3.9 billion cut in the federal education budget for the coming fiscal year -- a bill President Clinton has said he will veto. The President's balanced budget plan would erase the budget deficit, but increase education spending by $40 billion over the same seven-year time frame.

Riley said his department estimates that from 1994 to 2002, public school [K-12] enrollments will increase from 44 million to 49 million. High school enrollments [grades 9-12] will increase nationally by 15 percent, he said.

NOTE TO EDITORS: States expected to have more than 25 percent increases in high school enrollments by 2002: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Washington.