Assistance to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs)

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

Assistance to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs)

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of a program for providing financial assistance to LEAs.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 386 of Pub. L. No. 102-484, as amended by

Section 373 of Public Law 103-160, the ``National Defense Authorization

Act for Fiscal Year 1994'' and Section 1074 of Public Law 104-106, the

``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996,'' February

10, 1996, notice is hereby given of a program to provide financial

assistance to eligible LEAs that are impacted by the presence of

military dependent children or by the base closure process.

DATE: August 22, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Personnel Support,

Families & Education), room 3E784, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-

4000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Hector O. Nevarez or Mr. Norman R.

Heitzman, Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools, 4040

North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1635; telephone (703) 696-4354

or 4361; facsimile number (703) 696-8920.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Announcement

During fiscal year (FY) 1996, the Department of Defense (DoD) is

authorized to 35 million dollars to assist eligible Local Education

Agencies (LEAs) affected by the impact of military dependent students

or by reductions in the size of the Armed Forces. DoD shall rely on

data from the Department of Education for the purpose of determining

eligibility of an LEA.

Pursuant to subsection 386(c) of Pub. L. No. 102-484, as amended,

30 million dollars will be provided to eligible LEAs for educational

agency assistance if without such assistance, that LEA would be unable

to provide its students with a level of education equivalent to the

minimum available in other LEAs in the same state, and

(1) At least 20 percent (as rounded to the nearest whole percent)

of the students in average daily attendance in the schools of that LEA

in that fiscal year are military dependent students counted under

subsection 8003(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of

1965 (20 U.S.C. 7703(a));

(2) There has been a significant increase, as determined by the

Secretary, in the number of military dependent students in average

daily attendance in the LEA's schools as a result of relocation of

Armed Forces personnel or civilian employees of the Department of

Defense or as a result of a realignment of one or more military

installations; or

(3) An LEA is a successor of one or more LEAs that was eligible for

payments in Fiscal Year 1992 under DoD Directive 1342.18, and satisfies

one of the two previously listed criteria.

Pursuant to subsection 386(d) of Public Law 102-484; as amended, 5

million dollars is authorized for the Secretary to make educational

agency payments to LEAs that are impacted by reductions in the size of

the Armed Forces. Eligible LEAs are those that during the period

between the end of the school year preceding the fiscal year for which

the payments are authorized and the beginning of the school year

immediately preceding that school year, had an overall reduction of not

less than 20 percent of military dependent students, as a result of

closure or realignment of military installations.

Any funds provided under this notice shall be available only for

eligible LEAs who (1) exercise due diligence in obtaining State and

other financial assistance; (2) are treated the same as other LEAs

under State law for the purpose of receiving State aid for public

education; and (3) file with the Under Secretary of Defense for

Personnel and Readiness, a letter of application (see Sample Letter at

the end of this notice) and a copy of an independently audited

financial report on the LEA for the preceding fiscal year.

Applications for financial assistance in response to this notice

must be received no later than August 30, 1996.

Definitions

For the purposes of this program, the following definitions are

applicable: (a) Applicant. Any LEA requesting assistance under this

notice. (b) Local Education Agency (LEA). A public board of education

or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either

administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service

function for, public elementary or secondary schools in a city, county,

township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State,

or such

[[Page 43347]]

combination of school districts or counties as are recognized in a

State as an administrative agency for its public elementary or

secondary schools. Such term includes any other public institution or

agency having administrative control and direction of a public

elementary or secondary school. (c) Military Dependent Student. A

student that is a dependent child of a member of the Armed Forces or a

dependent child of a civilian employee of the Department of Defense.

Amount of Assistance

An applicant requesting assistance under this notice shall submit a

letter of application (see sample letter at the end of this notice) and

a copy of an independently audited financial report of the applicant

LEA for the second preceding FY, requesting a DoD contribution and

assuring the ASD(FMP) that the LEA has applied for, has received or

shall receive all financial assistance from other sources for which it

is qualified. Letters of application must be addressed as follows:

Assistant Secretary of Defense, (Force Management Policy), 4000 Defense

Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 20301-4000.

The applicant shall also file a copy of the letter of application

for financial assistance and required supportive information with the

State educational agency (SEA). The SEA may submit comments on the

LEA's application to the Department of Defense (at the above address)

by August 30, 1996. Such comments shall be considered when applications

are reviewed by the OSD. The LEA's application and all required

supporting information must reach the ASD(FMP) no later than August 30,

1996. No assurances of confidentiality are being made, other than the

assurance that the audits will not be released.

This information collection has been approved as OMB Control Number

0704-0389, with an expiration date of 09/30/96. The public reporting

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20

minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions,

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data

needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of

this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the

burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services,

Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0389), 1215

Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302.

Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of

law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply

with a collection of information if it does not display a currently

valid OMB control number.

Sample Letter of Application for Financial Assistance

Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management Policy),

4000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-4000.

Dear Mr. Assistant Secretary: Pursuant to this ``Notice of a

Program for Providing Financial Assistance to LEAs,'' ______ Federal

Register ______ (______, 1996), the (name of the local educational

agency (LEA)) requests financial assistance for the LEA for school

year 1995-1996. We certify that the LEA has applied for financial

assistance from all sources, including the State/Commonwealth of

(name). We understand that funds available for that purpose shall be

paid on a per-pupil basis for military dependent students, as in the

``Notice of a Program for Providing Financial Assistance to LEAs.''

Enclosed find a copy of our independent audit ``(Title)'' prepared

by (name of firm or agency). We have submitted a complete and timely

application for Section 3 impact aid assistance to the Secretary of

Education and have submitted applications for all other assistance

for which the LEA may be entitled. This LEA is treated the same as

other LEAs under state law for the purpose of state aid for public

education. A copy of this letter, with the above supporting

information, is being submitted to the State educational agency.

Sincerely,

(Authorized LEA Official)

Dated: August 16, 1996.

Patricia L. Toppings,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 96-21402 Filed 8-21-96; 8:45 am]

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