[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H1088-H1089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           DODSON SCHOOL DISTRICTS IMPACT AID PAYMENTS, 1999

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 447) to deem as timely filed, and 
process for payment, the applications submitted by the Dodson School 
Districts for certain Impact Aid payments for fiscal year 1999, and ask 
for its immediate consideration in the House.

[[Page H1089]]

  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Delaware?
  Mr. KILDEE. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, and I will 
not object, I yield to the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) to 
explain his request.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage Members to support 
S. 447. Although it would be my intention to consider amendments to 
Impact Aid during the authorization of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act this bill addresses a problem of a more urgent nature.
  In filing for 1999 Impact Aid funds, the Dodson Public Schools in 
Dodson, Montana, inadvertently forwarded their original application to 
the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools and not the 
Department of Education.
  The mistake was not discovered until after the filing deadline.
  For many school districts, the loss of Impact Aid funds would have 
minor consequences. This is not the case for Dodson Public Schools. 
Impact Aid provides a third of the funding for the school district. 
Without these funds, the school could close and 120 children might have 
to travel great distances to find alternative education.
  This is a small bill with a large impact. I urge my colleagues to 
pass this legislation, and I believe that the gentleman from Montana 
(Mr. Hill) will explain it further.
  Mr. KILDEE. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I 
yield to the distinguished gentleman from Montana (Mr. Hill).
  Mr. HILL of Montana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the effort of the chairman and 
the ranking member bringing this measure forward. This bill is designed 
to solve a funding crisis for the Dodson School District in Dodson, 
Montana. This is a small, rural community. It has historically provided 
a quality, progressive education opportunity for a unique bicultural 
group of students. It is located about 3 miles outside the eastern 
border of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
  The Dodson schools are near closure. What happened is a former 
administrator sent the application for Impact Aid entitlement to the 
wrong location, and that would impact about a third of the district's 
funding. The current law prohibits the Secretary of Education from 
reconsidering any school that misses that application deadline, making 
it necessary for the Montana delegation to offer this legislation to 
correct the problem.
  This school is the hub and the life of this community, and the loss 
of these funds would likely mean the demise of the entire public school 
system, a system that serves many residents of the Fort Belknap Indian 
Reservation.
  The economic state of Montana's reservation economy is suffering and 
losing this school district would also have adverse economic impacts. 
That is the reason the Congress needs to act in this expedited measure.
  I would like to thank the House leadership and the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce for recognizing the importance of these 
students and I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman 
Goodling), and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), the 
subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), the 
ranking member, and Majority Leader Armey and all their staff in 
helping to try to bring this measure.
  I rise in strong support of S. 477, legislation designed to solve a 
funding crisis for the Dodson School District in Dodson, Montana.
  The small rural community of Dodson has historically provided 
quality, progressive educational opportunities for a unique bicultural 
group of students. The school is located in the tiny community of 
Dodson, three miles outside the eastern fringe of the Fort Belknap 
Indian Reservation.
  Despite its non-reservation location status, the school's student 
clientele has consistently been comprised of 60% to 70% Assininboine-
Gros Ventre students, few of who live within the town itself. In fact, 
the majority of the student population commutes from surrounding farms 
and ranches.
  Several of Dodson's students are out-of-district children who reside 
in Blaine County whose boundaries lie from ten to twenty miles west and 
south of the community. Their parents request permission from the board 
of trustees for the privilege of attendance.
  Dodson Public Schools are near closure after a former administrator 
sent the application for Impact Aid Entitlement, which provide 
approximately one third of the district's funding, to the wrong office. 
A provision in current law prohibits the Secretary of Education from 
reconsidering schools that miss the application deadline, making it 
necessary for the Montana delegation to introduce legislation to 
correct the problem.
  These students are victims of a bureaucratic regulations that should 
be an easily reconciled mistake. The loss of funds would likely mean 
the demise of the entire public schools system--a system that serves 
many residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The economic 
state of Montana's reservations is not well and losing this school 
district would require many students additional transportation costs 
and travel of over thirty miles. Additionally, adjoining school 
districts and local governments would be extremely pressed to pick up 
the tab for additional education and transportation costs with a much 
lower revenue share. This is the reason that the Congress should act on 
this legislation in an expedited nature.
  Dodson Public Schools has a total enrollment of 120 students in K-12. 
In grades K-8, 53% of the total 74 students reside on federal land. In 
grades 9-12, 31% of the total 46 students reside on federal land. Of 
the total enrollment, 75% of the students are eligible for our free and 
reduced lunch program.
  Without these funds, the capability of the district to provide 
continued quality education would be seriously jeopardized. In fact, it 
is possible that closure would be eminent. Sadly, families would be 
forced to relocate during the school year to access educational 
services for their children.
  The school is the hub and life of the community. I am please that the 
House leadership and the Education Committee recognize the importance 
of swift action for the students in Dodson. The House Committee on 
Education and Majority Leader Armey's staff's have worked diligently to 
seek the expedited approval of this important legislation. I want to 
thank the House on behalf of the students and community of Dodson, 
Montana.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Delaware?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 447

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. IMPACT AID.

       The Secretary of Education shall deem as timely filed, and 
     shall process for payment, an application for a fiscal year 
     1999 payment under section 8003 of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7703) from a local 
     educational agency serving each of the following school 
     districts if the Secretary receives that application not 
     later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act:
       (1) The Dodson Elementary School District #2, Montana.
       (2) The Dodson High School District, Montana.

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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