REFERENCE TITLE: support; impact aid

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-first Legislature Second Regular Session 2014

SR 1006

Introduced by Senators Tovar, Begay, Dalessandro, Gallardo, McGuire, Pancrazi: Ableser, Farley, Hobbs, Meza

 

A RESOLUTION

 

supporting full funding of the Impact Aid Program.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Whereas, in 1950 President Harry S. Truman signed Public Law 81-874, which enacted the Impact Aid Program into law; and

Whereas, Impact Aid, the oldest elementary and secondary education program, is designed to reimburse local educational agencies for the loss of traditional revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property or federal activities; and

Whereas, existing property owners in affected local agencies already bear a significant burden in financial support of local educational agencies due to federal acquisition of private lands; and

Whereas, the Impact Aid Program provides direct reimbursement to local educational agencies for Indian lands, military bases, low-rent housing and other federal property to make up for lost tax revenue due to the nontaxable federal ownership status and to assist with the basic educational needs of the students and schools; and

Whereas, Impact Aid funding is of critical importance to the forty-nine school districts in Arizona.  Arizona is the highest recipient of Impact Aid and receives funding on behalf of the 42,889 federally connected students who are educated in local public school districts with a total enrollment of 242,624; and

Whereas, the Budget Control Act of 2011 established sequestration to cut $1.2 trillion from the federal budget due to the failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to reach a broader compromise; and

Whereas, as the only current-year funded education program, Impact Aid was cut immediately on March 1, 2013 by $67.5 million in the middle of the 2012-2013 school year; and

Whereas, the cut to Arizona alone was $11,051,571.  In response, Impact Aid recipient school districts have already cut transportation, staff development, professional development, early childhood programs and enrichment programs, delayed maintenance and technology upgrades and in some cases closed schools; and

Whereas, any additional cuts to Impact Aid in fiscal year 2014 would have a detrimental impact on this state's local public school districts.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona:

1.  That the Members of the Senate strongly oppose sequestration as created by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and its negative effect on the Impact Aid Program.

2.  That the Members of the Senate support the continuation of funding for this federal obligation to alleviate the local taxpayer burden caused by federal land ownership, as has been the standard for more than sixty years.

3.  That the Members of the Senate recognize the importance of the Impact Aid Program in ensuring that federally connected children receive a high-quality public education and support the full funding of the Impact Aid Program.