AzSIAA Bi-Weekly Newsletter
From the Executive Director
ASIAA Members,
I want to begin by thanking those districts that sent Board Members and Superintendents to the NAFIS conference. ASIAA was well represented by the following districts:
Eleven ASIAA districts and charters sent thirty-seven (37) individuals as part of the 300 NAFIS members to advocate for Impact Aid. Thanks to each of you for this strong show of support. Special thanks to Mr. Chris Ostgaard, President Elect and Superintendent of Pinon Unified School District, for chairing the Monday ASIAA meeting. Thanks, Chris. If you are not a member of ASIAA, please go to the ASIAA website, click on Become a Member.
In the NAFIS News, April 6, 2018, Executive Director Hillary Goldmann noted, “last week was a phenomenal week for federally impacted school districts because of the strong bipartisan showing of support for the Impact Aid program. On Monday, March 19, 103 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the House education funding subcommittee in support of the FY 2019 Impact Aid Funding. NAFIS is grateful to each office for supporting the program, particularly in light of the deep cuts to Impact Aid proposed in the Administration’s FY 2019 budget request.”
Timing was great! ASIAA members, NAFIS members all stormed the hill in support of Impact Aid at the same time as a letter signed by 103 members of the House of Representatives was sent to the House education funding subcommittee. That is a strong message!
In the NAFIS news, Hillary further notes that five House offices led this year’s letter: Representatives Davis (D-CA), Larsen (D-WA), LoBiondo (R-NJ), Noem (R-SD), and Williams (R-TX). This is how a member of the House of Representatives from Arizona could support the Impact Aid program. Please note the following Arizona House members signed on to this letter:
Please take time to send an email to the House office from your district or charter thanking the Congressperson for their support of Impact Aid. This show of support is a result of your advocacy.
In terms of time, a six-month delay, the FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations bill was signed into law on Friday, March 23. The bill included the largest increase for Impact Aid: $81 million increase for basic support and $4.5 million increase for federal properties. This funding increase was made possible as a result of the efforts of “Raise the Caps” on discretionary funding (raised the cap by $63 billion) that Congress approved a few weeks earlier. Hillary notes this increase is a direct result of the NAFIS families hard work of engaged advocacy and unity of message.
Now is the time to prepare for the NAFIS Fall conference, September 23-25, 2018.
Larry E. Wallen,
Executive Director
I want to begin by thanking those districts that sent Board Members and Superintendents to the NAFIS conference. ASIAA was well represented by the following districts:
- Baboquivari Unified School District
- Chinle Unified School District
- Fort Thomas Unified School District
- Ganado Unified School District
- Painted Desert Demonstration Projects - The STAR School
- Pinon Unified School District
- Red Mesa Unified School District
- San Carlos Unified School District
- Shonto Prep Schools
- Tuba City Unified School District
- Whiteriver Unified School District
Eleven ASIAA districts and charters sent thirty-seven (37) individuals as part of the 300 NAFIS members to advocate for Impact Aid. Thanks to each of you for this strong show of support. Special thanks to Mr. Chris Ostgaard, President Elect and Superintendent of Pinon Unified School District, for chairing the Monday ASIAA meeting. Thanks, Chris. If you are not a member of ASIAA, please go to the ASIAA website, click on Become a Member.
In the NAFIS News, April 6, 2018, Executive Director Hillary Goldmann noted, “last week was a phenomenal week for federally impacted school districts because of the strong bipartisan showing of support for the Impact Aid program. On Monday, March 19, 103 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the House education funding subcommittee in support of the FY 2019 Impact Aid Funding. NAFIS is grateful to each office for supporting the program, particularly in light of the deep cuts to Impact Aid proposed in the Administration’s FY 2019 budget request.”
Timing was great! ASIAA members, NAFIS members all stormed the hill in support of Impact Aid at the same time as a letter signed by 103 members of the House of Representatives was sent to the House education funding subcommittee. That is a strong message!
In the NAFIS news, Hillary further notes that five House offices led this year’s letter: Representatives Davis (D-CA), Larsen (D-WA), LoBiondo (R-NJ), Noem (R-SD), and Williams (R-TX). This is how a member of the House of Representatives from Arizona could support the Impact Aid program. Please note the following Arizona House members signed on to this letter:
- Tom O’Halloran
- Martha McSally
- Ruben Gallego
- Kyrsten Sinema
- Paul Gosar
- Raul Grijalva
Please take time to send an email to the House office from your district or charter thanking the Congressperson for their support of Impact Aid. This show of support is a result of your advocacy.
In terms of time, a six-month delay, the FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations bill was signed into law on Friday, March 23. The bill included the largest increase for Impact Aid: $81 million increase for basic support and $4.5 million increase for federal properties. This funding increase was made possible as a result of the efforts of “Raise the Caps” on discretionary funding (raised the cap by $63 billion) that Congress approved a few weeks earlier. Hillary notes this increase is a direct result of the NAFIS families hard work of engaged advocacy and unity of message.
Now is the time to prepare for the NAFIS Fall conference, September 23-25, 2018.
Larry E. Wallen,
Executive Director
President Trump Signed the FY2018 Omnibus Bill
In a press release April 4, 2018 NDD United reported the White House has made rescission threats to rollback the deal struck in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. “Some congressional Republicans want to force votes to cut billions of dollars in non-defense spending from the 2018 government funded bill Congress passed last month. Doing so would renege on the recent bipartisan budget agreement, which raised the limits on both defense and nondefense discretionary appropriations for this fiscal year and next.”
“The two-year budget deal and 2018 funding bill did not expand non-defense appropriated programs above historical levels. Indeed, they still fall short of the levels needed just to return funding to where it was eight years ago, before the multiple rounds of budget cutting of recent years (see chart). Adjusted for inflation, the new cap on non-defense appropriations in 2018 is 5.3 percent below the comparable 2010 level. And adjusted for population growth as well as inflation, it's 11.0 percent below the 2010 level.” (NDD, April 4, 2018)
Click here to read more.
“The two-year budget deal and 2018 funding bill did not expand non-defense appropriated programs above historical levels. Indeed, they still fall short of the levels needed just to return funding to where it was eight years ago, before the multiple rounds of budget cutting of recent years (see chart). Adjusted for inflation, the new cap on non-defense appropriations in 2018 is 5.3 percent below the comparable 2010 level. And adjusted for population growth as well as inflation, it's 11.0 percent below the 2010 level.” (NDD, April 4, 2018)
Click here to read more.
AASA March Advocacy Update - Noelle Ellerson
Thanks to Noel and AASA for the excellent analysis provided of the Omnibus bill. “This is the big news of the week/month. Congress completed its FY18 funding work, passing a final appropriations bill that includes significant increases for education funding. Read AASA’s full analysis here.”
Post to Calendar - Pre-Session - ASBA’s Summer Leadership Institute - NAFIS and Impact Aid
Hilary Goldman and Jocelyn Bissonnette will be presenting a two hour, no cost pre-session at ASBA’s Summer Leadership Institute in June at Little America on June 8, 1-3 pm. The focus will be to explain the nature and importance of Impact Aid and illuminate changes being considered at the federal level. I am working with Ms. Tracey Benson, Associate Executive Director, ASBA on the details. During this session attendees will learn about the Impact Aid program, its purpose, how it is funded, how school districts apply for funding, the new Indian Policies and Procedures, and much more. Congress will be working on legislation leading up to the Congressional recess later in the summer. Hilary will provide an update on appropriations, infrastructure, rural education and legislation that proposes to turn Impact Aid into a private school voucher. Please click on this link to sign up for the session.
ASIAA materials used at the NAFIS Spring Conference
ASIAA Notice of Meeting and Agenda
ASIAA Hill Visits
ASIAA Congressional Letter
Impact Aid Infographic
FY2016 Arizona Impact Aid recipients
ASIAA Hill Visits
ASIAA Congressional Letter
Impact Aid Infographic
FY2016 Arizona Impact Aid recipients
Post to Your Calendar
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IT and C&I Leadership Symposium
Superintendents Professional Development Conference New Superintendents Collaborative Network Legal Week for Charter Schools Institute for Excellence Impact Aid Basics ASIAA Membership Meeting Summer Leadership Institute Summer Institute Fall Superintendent Conference NAFIS Fall Conference Southwest Charter Convention |
April 13, 2018
April 20, 2018 April 27, 2018 May 1-3, 2018 June 3-6, 2018 June 7, 2018 - 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm June 7, 2018 - 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm June 7-9, 2018 June 10-12, 2018 Oct 2018 Sept 23-25, 2018 Sept 26-28, 2018 |