President Bush last week released his $277 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2007, which begins Oct. 1. While he proposes increased spending for defense, homeland security and foreign affairs, the president seeks cuts in discretionary spending throughout most of the rest of the budget. His proposed FY 07 Department of Education budget is $54.4 billion, a $2.1 billion (3.8 percent) reduction below the comparable FY 06 level, which decreased education spending for the first time in a decade.