Hurricane Relief for Students, Families,
Communities & Schools 

April 25, 2006

 

U.S. House and Senate education leaders last year reached a consensus agreement on a plan to provide education relief for students, families, communities, and schools affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

 

A key component of the Gulf Coast hurricane relief and recovery effort is flexibility and adaptability.  Entire communities have been uprooted by these unprecedented natural disasters, and bureaucratic red tape must not stand in the way of efforts to rebuild the region.  The proposal for hurricane education relief includes common sense flexibility and assistance for early childhood, K-12, and higher education.

 

FLEXIBILITY & RELIEF FOR K-12 STUDENTS & SCHOOLS 

 

Prioritizing educational services for displaced students over bureaucratic hurdles.  For one year, the plan eases requirements for elementary and secondary schools, including:

  • Maintenance of effort and supplement not supplant funding requirements.  Easing these requirements would ensure states, districts, and schools can serve students effectively with the resources available.  In addition, non-federal match requirements could be waived or modified for affected states.

  • Deadlines for special education evaluations and reporting requirements.  By extending – but not waiving – these deadlines, states and schools would have the flexibility they need to ensure the affected students will have access to the services they need.

 

Providing additional funding to meet the needs of students and schools.  The plan provides additional resources for affected schools, including:

  • School districts serving major disaster areas would receive at least the same amount of Title I funding for disadvantaged students for FY 2006 as they received in FY 2005; and

  • $5 million in McKinney-Vento funding – which provides services for homeless youth and may have been depleted with unexpected enrollments of displaced students – would be authorized for schools serving students displaced by the hurricanes.

 

Reimbursing schools that have enrolled displaced students.  For the current school year, funds are provided to reimburse public, private, and charter schools that have enrolled displaced students.  Up to $6,000 per student ($7,500 per student in special education) is provided quickly and efficiently, with full participation by public, private, and charter schools.  Funds must be provided to impacted schools within a strict timetable to speed the resources through bureaucratic hurdles.

 

Helping schools get the supplies and equipment to reopen their doors.  The plan includes $750 million in funds to help damaged schools in LA, MS, AL, and TX access services, equipment, and supplies.  Public, private, and charter schools would be able to access restart funds, with a minimum set aside for nonpublic schools reflecting their proportion in the state.

 

FLEXIBILITY FOR TEACHERS 

 

Expanding opportunities for quality teachers to serve displaced students.  For one year, the proposal allows states hiring highly qualified teachers or paraprofessionals from a hurricane impacted state to consider those educators to be highly qualified and meet NCLB requirements for teacher and paraprofessional qualifications.

 

ASSISTANCE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS & SCHOOLS 

 

Resources for higher education.  The plan:

  • Provides $10 million in relief for institutions enrolling displaced students; and

  • Provides $95 million each to LA and MS to assist the higher education systems impacted by the hurricanes.

 

EXPANDING ACCESS TO CHILD CARE & EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 

 

Ensuring displaced children have access to Head Start.  The plan:

  • Includes $90 million for the Head Start early childhood program to assist with the costs not covered by FEMA and insurance to renovate Head Start facilities affected by the hurricanes, as well as to provide additional services to affected children.

  • Requires the Department of Health & Human Services to provide additional guidance, technical assistance, flexibility, and resources to affected areas to ensure children impacted by the hurricanes will have access to the educational and comprehensive services provided through the Head Start program.

Expanding access to child care services for displaced families.  The plan eases federal requirements for state administration of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to give affected families easier access to child care services.