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September 15, 2005
NSBA urges Congress to send disaster relief directly to schoolsIn a letter sent to Capitol Hill yesterday, NSBA strongly urged Congress to send disaster relief money directly to local school districts because state and local governments are already underfunded and cannot cover the necessary costs for the more than 370,000 relocated students. These costs include additional classroom space, teachers, counselors, textbooks, supplies, transportation and fuel expenses, special education services, healthcare costs, and other needs.
NSBA also pointed out this is the time that Congress should make good on its promise to fully fund special education, since at least 12 percent—or 44,000—displaced students may need special ed services not budgeted for by receiving districts. In addition, NSBA urged Congress to set up a special school construction fund as well as special designations for tax-exempt financing mechanisms to help districts with repair and reconstruction costs.
As NSBA top lobbyist Michael Resnick pointed out in the letter, "Clearly, more resources are needed beyond those provided in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program." Congress is expected to work on developing a third disaster relief package shortly.
Posted September 15, 2005 11:16 AM | Hurricane Relief Efforts
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Posted by: Stu Gibson on September 16, 2005 8:37 AM
While you're at it, NSBA should also urge the administration NOT to follow through on its plan to offer vouchers so that displaced parents can send their children to unaccountable private and parochial schools.
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