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 Public Law 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,'' and

pursuant to Section 372 of Public Law 104-201, the ``National Defense

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997,'' September 23, 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.

DATES: July 23, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Personnel Support,

Families & Education), room 3A280, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-

4000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Linda L. Renz 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) 1997, the Department of Defense (DoD) is

authorized 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 Public Law 102-484, as amended,

and subsection 372(a)(1) of Public Law 104-484, 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)(1));

(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,

and subsection 372(a)(2) of Public Law 104-201, 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 our 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 Assistant Secretary of Defense for

(Force Management Policy), 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 13, 1997.

Definition

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 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 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), Attn: DoD

Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS), 4040 North

Fairfax Drive, Arlington VA 22203-1635.

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 13, 1997. Such comments shall be considered when applications

are reviewed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The LEA's

application and all required supporting information must reach the

ASD(FMP) no later than August 13, 1997. 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 June 30, 2000. 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

[[Page 39503]]

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 Operation 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), Attn: DoD

Domestic Dependent Elementary, and Secondary Schools (DDESS), 4040

North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1635.

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

Program for Providing Financial Assistance to LEAs,'' Federal

Register Vol. ________, No. ________, dated________, 1997, the (name

of the local educational agency (LEA)) requests financial assistance

for the LEA for school year 1996-1997. 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: July 17, 1997.

Patricia L. Topping,

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.

[FR Doc. 97-19342 Filed 7-22-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000-04-M