[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11450-11451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5527]
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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. 102-484, as amended by
Section 373 of Pub. L. 103-160, the ``National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 1994,'' and Section 1074 of Pub. L. 104-106, the
``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996,'' and
pursuant to Section 372 of Pub. L. 105-261, the ``Strom Thurmond
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999,'' October 17,
1998, 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: Applications for financial assistance in response to this notice
must be received no later than April 8, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Letters of application must be addressed to: Acting
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management Policy), Attn: DoD
Education Activity (Fiscal Division), 4040 North Fairfax Drive,
Arlington, VA 22203-1635.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Joyce Eastepp, Department of
Defense Education Activity (Fiscal Division), 4040 North Fairfax Drive,
Arlington, VA 22203-1634; telephone (703) 696-3833, extension 282;
facsimile number (703) 696-4029.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Program Announcement
During Fiscal Year (FY) 1999, 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 a LEA.
Pursuant to subsection 386(c) of Pub. L. 102-484, as amended, and
subsection 372(a)(1) of Pub. L. 105-261, 30 million dollars will be
provided to eligible LEAs for educational agency assistance if without
such assistance, such LEAs would be unable to provide their 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 such LEAs
in that Fiscal Year 1999 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) a LEA is a successor of one or more LEAs that was eligible for
payments in Fiscal Year 1992 under DoD Instruction 1342.18 (32 CFR Part
240), and satisfies one of the two previously listed criteria.
Pursuant to subsection 386(d) of Pub. L. 102-484, as amended, and
subsection 372(a)(2) of Pub. L. 105-261, 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 Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense
(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 [30 days after date of publication].
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 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
[[Page 11451]]
preceding FY, requesting a DoD contribution and assuring the Acting 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:
Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense, (Force Management Policy),
Attn: DoD Education Activity (Fiscal Division), 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 [30 days after date of publication]. 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 Acting ASD (FMP) no later than [30 days
after date of publication]. 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 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
Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense,
(Force Management Policy),
Attn: DoD Education Activity (Fiscal Division),
4040 North Fairfax Drive,
Arlington, VA 22203-1635
Dear Mr. Acting Assistant Secretary: Pursuant to this ``Notice
of a Program for Providing Financial Assistance to LEAs,'' Federal
Register Vol. __, No. __, dated ______, 1999), the (name of the
local educational agency (LEA) requests financial assistance for the
LEA for school year 1998-1999. 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 is 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: March 1, 1999.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 99-5527 Filed 3-8-99; 8:45 am]
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