Ed Department Downsizes Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools
In a major restructuring of its student support programs,, the Department of Education has announced that it will move the former Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools programs into a new Office of Safe & Healthy Students within the Office of Elementary & Secondary Education. In the Congressional budget deal approved April 14, the Office had taken a 29% hit, down from $270 million to $191 million. The Office, which has been headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary, has been moved further down in the education hierarchy and puts funding for key programs such as Safe & Drug-Free Schools and Healthy Students in the position of competing directly with funding for classroom support. In a dear colleague letter from Ed Deputy Secretary Tony Miller, the changes were explained as follows:
Dear Colleagues,
As many of you know, Congress recently eliminated several programs administered by the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. Notwithstanding these budget cuts, the programs that remain are critical to our efforts to establish safe, supportive, and healthy schools so that children can learn and reach their full potential. Moreover, the Department is committed to developing and deepening program and policy expertise in the program offices, especially in high-priority areas. Therefore, to maximize limited resources, while preserving our program focus, we are planning to move these programs into a new “Office of Safe and Healthy Students” within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE).
This change will provide new opportunities for staff from OESE and OSDFS to work together to improve school environments and support children’s learning, health, and well-being.
Arne Duncan met with OSDFS staff on Monday, June 20, 2011 to notify them of these proposed changes, to answer their questions, and to let them know that all OSDFS staff will be reassigned to OESE. The structure and staffing of the office will be determined in the coming months and we will provide additional information as it becomes available.
Thanks,
Tony