Impact Aid helps fund local school districts

  • Published
  • By Deborah Silliman Wolfe
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  School districts with a high number of children from military families in attendance have the opportunity to get federal money from the Department of Education though the Impact Aid program. The money distributed to the districts from the program can be used to improve the school district in a variety of ways. 

"They might use the money to fund a new program or maybe give teachers increased salaries so they can take more professional development classes to improve their teaching skills in math and reading," said Stephanie Garnes, Airman and Family Readiness Flight school liaison. "In order for school districts to receive Impact Aid funding, they must have at least 400 or three percent federal students in their average daily attendance. During the beginning of each school year, schools and districts conduct the first count student survey to identify the number of federally connected students enrolled. School districts must then submit an application directly to the U.S. Department of Education by Jan. 31 containing the results of the first count." 

The Litchfield School District will be sending the first count form home with students Nov. 10, so parents need to make sure they fill it out and send it back, according to Mrs. 
Garnes. The Dysart School District will be sending the form home with children as well, if they haven't already. 

According to Mrs. Garnes, part of the reason the program exists is because having military students attending schools increases attendance, and if those children's families live on base, they don't pay property taxes that will fund their local schools. Schools may also lose out on sales taxes when military families shop at the commissary and base exchange. The Impact Aid program helps school districts regain that missing tax money. 

Currently, Litchfield and Dysart school districts apply for the funding, and Mrs. Garnes encourages other local school districts to apply as well. The districts who participate keep in contact with Mrs. Garnes and keep her up to date on military children's attendance in their schools. 

As well as having direct contact with the schools in the program, Mrs. Garnes tries to educate families new to Luke Air Force Base on how important it is to fill out the first count form sent home with students. 

"This money can truly help a district and the children attending those schools," Mrs. Garnes said.