Durbin Secures Impact Aid Funding For Schools Serving The Great Lakes Naval Base

Press Release

Durbin Secures Impact Aid Funding For Schools Serving The Great Lakes Naval Base

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Impact Aid Coalition, today announced that the final version of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) Appropriations bill will include a Durbin authored amendment to allow the five public schools serving the Great Lakes Naval Training Base to pool their students to maximize federal education assistance through the Impact Aid program. Senator Durbin notified the mayors school district officials and state legislators affected by this provision and asked them to urge swift enactment of the legislation.

"This change in the federal funding calculation will protect North Chicago schools from losing their heavily impacted status," Durbin said. "And it will help to assure that the children of Navy families have the best educational opportunities."

Many local school districts across the U.S. serve students affiliated with military families and include federally owned land exempt from local taxes which fund public schools. These school districts face special challenges — they must provide a quality education to the children in the area and meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, while often operating with less local revenue than is available to other school districts. Impact Aid supplements the cost of educating those students whose families are part of the U.S. military.

The Durbin provision will help bring the federal government closer to meeting an obligation it has failed for years--it's obligation to the children of members of our armed services. The federal government has never fully reimbursed schools for the cost of educating military-affiliated children, and the children and school districts who educate them suffer. This includes the over 1,500 children of Great Lakes personnel who attend public schools in the area.

"We need to make sure that school districts have the funds they need to provide each student with a quality public education," said Durbin. "Many local school districts across the U.S. cover areas that include federally owned land exempt from local taxes which fund public schools. Impact Aid fills this gap in funding to make sure that no student is left behind."

Senator Durbin has consistently supported higher funding for Impact Aid. Earlier this month, he met with representatives from the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) in order to discuss the pressing need for increased Impact Aid in schools serving the Great Lakes Naval Base, Scott Air Force Base and other federal lands. Durbin and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) first introduced legislation to allow the five school districts serving the Great Lakes Naval Training Center to pool their students to maximize federal education assistance through the Impact Aid program.

Today's legislation was approved by a joint House and Senate Conference Committee. Once it is approved by both the House and Senate, it will be delivered to the President for his signature. In addition to the Durbin provision, the LHHS Appropriations bill also includes a measure that increases Impact Aid funding nationwide by $20 million.

Text of letters appears below:

Mike Belsky, Mayor, Highland Park
Leon Rockingham, Mayor, North Chicago
Kerry Cummings, Village President, Glenview
Vincent Donofrio, Mayor, Highwood

Maureen L. Hager, Superintendent of Schools, North Shore District 112
George Fornero, Superintendent of Schools, Township High School District 113
Dr. Dave Hales, Superintendent of Schools, Glenbrook High School District 225
Dr. Gerald Hill, Superintendent of Schools, Glenview School District 34
Dr. Lauri Hakanen, Superintendent of Schools, North Chicago Dist. 187

State Senator Susan Garrett
State Senator Jeff Schoenberg
State Senator Terry Link
State Representative Karen May
State Representative Elaine Nekritz
State Representative Eddie Washington
State Representative Kathy Ryg

Dear _____________ :

I have good news to share. The final version of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill will include my Senate amendment to allow the five public school systems serving the Great Lakes Naval Training Base to enter into a local compact for purposes of calculating Impact Aid subsidies for students from military affiliated families.

This morning, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees completed their conference meetings on the FY 2008 spending bill for the Department of Education. The bill they have agreed upon will go the floor of the House and the Senate and then on to the White House. I am pleased to report the final package that will be delivered to the President includes the amendment that I secured during the Senate Committee's work on the bill.

Thank you for your patience and continued support throughout this two-year effort. This change in the federal funding calculation will protect North Chicago schools from losing their heavily impacted status and provide the surrounding school districts with increased funding to support the additional military-affiliated children they will be educating.

I hope the President will sign this important legislation and this critical provision into law and have made my views known to the White House. I encourage you to contact Congressman Kirk, who is supportive of this provision, and ask him to urge the President to enact this much-needed Impact Aid fix for your communities and school districts.

I look forward to working with you as we support the public schools in the Great Lakes community.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

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