Gov. Wilson, Take the $42 Million : Schools starve as he snubs federal education funds

The money is there. Gov. Pete Wilson has only to say OK and California schools suddenly would be $42.1 million richer.

The state Department of Education requested the funds from the Clinton administration’s Goals 2000 program, which aims to raise academic standards, prepare children for reading, improve math and science, keep students in school, promote parental involvement and safeguard campuses against drugs, guns and violence. Who could disagree with those goals?

Washington approved California’s $42.1 million grant based on a congressional funding formula and requests from California school districts. The money, available since September, is collecting interest--and dust--in Washington instead of helping local schools. So what’s the holdup?

Wilson wants to know whether the program will be around next year. He remembers earlier funding promises broken by Washington and he doesn’t want school districts to make commitments now and be stuck if the federal government fails to deliver then.

That worry can be discounted. The California Business Roundtable, which represents 70 of the largest businesses in the state, recommends simply distributing the money and warning school districts not to count on any more from that source.

The fate of Goals 2000 for the next fiscal year won’t be determined until the White House and Congress reach agreement in their protracted budget battle. If the House of Representatives prevails, Goals 2000 will get nothing next year. If the Senate Appropriations Committee prevails, the program will get $300 million, close to the amount earmarked for 1995. President Clinton has requested $750 million.

Whatever happens for 1996, California has already been granted the $42.1 million for 1995. And if this state doesn’t grab it, the dough could wind up in some state that’s smarter or quicker.

Wilson keeps finding obstacles where there are none. He says he wants to see the fine print and he doesn’t want to get stuck with any onerous conditions. But the Clinton administration insists there are no conditions. There haven’t been any for the more than 40 other states that received their shares.

Wilson also says he opposes a state-by-state peer review of California’s plan for use of the funding, a process required under Goals 2000. But to remove that hurdle, he merely has to ask for and obtain a federal waiver. All this hesitating just doesn’t make sense. Perhaps Wilson can learn from other Republican governors. George Bush of Texas took the money, after he decided how it would be spent--on early literacy programs. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin took it. So did William Weld of Massachusetts and John Engler of Michigan. Does Wilson know something that these GOP governors don’t know?

The state superintendent of public instruction, Delaine Eastin, wants to meet with Wilson to try to ease his concerns. The governor also could meet with federal education officials. The decision on whether to take the money is strictly up to him. If he is concerned that Washington will try to order how the money is to be spent, he can take control by dictating its use as Gov. Bush did in Texas. Wilson could insist, for example, on spending the money on computers for the classrooms. California school districts need any help they can get from Washington and Sacramento. This state can’t afford to throw away a single dollar that can be used for public education, and certainly not 42 million of them.