WASHINGTON – While federal lawmakers took a two-week break from Capitol Hill this month, a small group of senators, including Sen. Susan Collins, worked on a framework for how to fund education.

Soon after the Senate returns to work today, Republicans and Democrats will start debating the best proposals for reinstating the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the single largest source of federal support for kindergarten through 12th-grade education that was born of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty in 1965.

As of this weekend, Senate Republicans and Democrats were waiting for an agreement from the White House on several key issues, including money for teacher training, greater local flexibility in how federal dollars are spent, funding for more after-school tutors, smaller class sizes and school construction.

There’s no doubt that whatever passes the Senate will include a measure that holds schools more accountable for raising student test scores. Senate leaders and the White House also have agreed to the president’s proposal to provide $320 million for math and reading tests for grades three through eight. And they both agreed on $900 million for the Reading First program, which would help children read by third grade.

Both Collins and Sen. Olympia Snowe have thrown their weight behind most of the president’s education priorities. But there is concern among moderate Republicans on some issues, including the use of vouchers and a lack of full funding for special education.

“We’re very close on getting a compromise on a lot of the significant issues,” said Collins, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “So I’m very pleased that I think we’re going to have bipartisan support on the president’s bill.”

President Bush wants to increase the Department of Education budget by $4.6 billion for a total spending package of $44.5 billion for fiscal year 2002. He wants to increase funding for several initiatives, including the Title I program, Reading First and state grants for teacher quality.

“I really like his emphasis on giving local control and giving more flexibility to local school boards and states on how to spend federal dollars,” Collins said.

She introduced a bill earlier this year that mirrors the president’s proposal to improve reading scores among children. It would provide $1 billion per year to states and school districts to establish and enhance reading partnerships and to develop early literacy professional development programs for teachers.

But the Democrats say the president’s education funding is about $9 billion short of being able to make changes in elementary and secondary education.

“It’s nonsense to think that we can reform our schools on the cheap,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “Surely in a time of record budget surpluses, we can afford to provide schools with the help they need to teach our children better.”

The Democrats want to see $6.4 billion for Title I schools rather than the $459 million that the president proposed.

The party also says that the Bush budget doesn’t provide enough for improving teacher quality and reducing class size. The Democrats want to see an increase of $1.2 billion rather than the $375 million increase in the president’s proposal.

Federal funds to repair crumbling schools also are lacking, Democrats say. They want to add $400 million to the department’s budget in order to repair about 25,000 schools.

Democrats also say that Bush’s plan leaves out money for after-school programs. They want to add $654 million for extended learning programs.

Although the idea of offering vouchers to parents of children in failing schools has virtually died, lawmakers expect a Republican amendment that will try to add a voucher program to ESEA.

Maine education officials are keeping close tabs on what happens with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which funds special education. The program gives disabled students special classes for employment and independent living. The president’s proposal includes a $1 billion increase for IDEA, funding the program at $7.3 billion.

But the increase fails to meet the federal government’s original obligation to fund the program at 40 percent. Maine identified 35,000 students in December 2000 who fit into one of the 13 categories of disability.

“The concern at the local level is the increased cost for special education,” said David Stockford, federal liaison for the Maine Department of Education.

The education debate will most likely reach the Senate by Tuesday, according to congressional aides. The discussion could take a full two weeks on the floor.