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The recent dust-up between Senators Obama and McCain over a new "GI Bill" for veterans has drowned out news of a measure in the same bill that could save districts billions in the coming years.

This seemingly arcane measure has very important implications for public schools. As we pointed out in March, a Bush administration decision to prevent schools from claiming Medicaid reimbursements for transportation and administration costs could have an enormous impact on school district budgets across the country.

In late 2007, Congressional opponents of this change managed to delay implementation of the new rules until June 30, which is of course just around the corner.

This is where the new "GI Bill" comes in. The Senate's war funding bill, which passed on May 22, would boost education benefits for veterans and extend the moratorium on changes to Medicaid reimbursement rules until next spring. The House approved a similar measure a week earlier. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes extra domestic spending, and it's uncertain whether the measure's supporters in the House can muster enough votes to override his veto. (for more information on the bill, see today'sEducation Week's and CCSSO's brief overview in "Chiefline"