Read some of the highlights of Barbara Boxer's record on education.
- Thirty years ago, as a young mother, Senator Boxer helped start an afterschool program at her children's school. Now Senator Boxer is the leading Senate advocate for expanding after school programs to give children a safe and enriching place to go after school. When Senator Boxer was elected, there was no federal commitment to funding afterschool programs. Since then, she has passed numerous amendments to increase funding. The Leave No Child Behind Act, signed into law in January 2002, included the Boxer-Ensign amendment that will provide after school services to 3.5 million students by the year 2007.
- Senator Boxer wants to make college a reality for more California students. She has consistently voted to increase the size of Pell Grants for low-income students, has supported increasing the tuition tax credit, and supports increasing the deduction for interest on student loans.
- Senator Boxer supports continuing the highly successful federal program to help local schools reduce class sizes by helping them hire new teachers.
- To succeed in the high-tech economy, students need computer skills. Senator Boxer wrote a law giving companies a tax incentive to donate computers to schools and other educational or charitable organizations. Since her bill became law, companies have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of computers and software to schools.
- To help make our schools safer, Senator Boxer introduced the School Safety Fund Act in 1999 that creates a grant program to help schools take steps to reduce violence in schools. Senator Boxer also authored the COPS in Schools Act to waive the requirement that local schools pay a match to receive federal funds to place police officers in schools.
- Senator Boxer supports tough education standards to make sure our kids have the skills they need to succeed.
- To provide millions of children with access to pre-kindergarten education, Senator Boxer authored the Early Education Act in 1999 that would provide incentives for states to offer early education opportunities.
- Many of our classrooms are overcrowded and in need of repair. Senator Boxer is a longtime supporter and coauthor of legislation to provide federal matching funds for the repair, renovation, modernization, and construction of schools.
- Senator Boxer has worked to channel more funds into the State Schools Fund by leading the fight to make "deadbeat" oil companies pay royalties on oil extracted from federal lands and waters. These royalties are already required by federal law and are credited to the State Schools Fund. At Senator Boxer's urging, the Department of Interior billed ten oil companies a total of $385 million for overdue payments. California's estimated share of those funds is $75 million. She is also fighting new efforts to let oil companies avoid making these payments.
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