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August 24, 2006
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Education Committee Republicans Applaud Ongoing Efforts on Behalf of Gulf Coast Students

Latest Commitment Brings Hurricane Relief Funding for Schools to Nearly $2 Billion

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Education Committee Republicans today hailed U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ announcement that some $60 million in new aid will be provided to public and private schools damaged by last year’s hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region.  Half of the sum will be disbursed to K-12 schools, with the other half heading to Gulf Coast colleges and universities.  Nearly $2 billion in hurricane relief funding has been provided by Congress and the Bush Administration in the aftermath of last year’s tragedies.

 

“I am pleased to see more funding going to Louisiana schools to help rebuild and recover after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,” said Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), a Member of the Education Committee.  “Last year’s hurricanes devastated a large part of our state, including education systems throughout South Louisiana.  Entire schools were destroyed, and tens of thousands of students and teachers were displaced.  It is crucial that we continue to work to rebuild these schools as part of the recovery process.  Our students, from grammar school through high school and college, are the future of our state, and they must be given every opportunity to succeed.”

 

The latest influx – foreign aid dollars made available by the Departments and Education and State – will be used to rebuild and repair the structure and physical property of schools in Louisiana and Mississippi.  For K-12 schools, the funds will be used to assist in rebuilding libraries, science labs, and other specialized facility needs.  The bulk of the K-12 schools receiving these funds will be in Orleans Parish.

 

“A year after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, many Louisiana schools have yet to receive critical funding for recovery,” said Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), a Committee Member.  “The additional funding announced today will provide an added boost to the teachers and students who have had to sacrifice so much.  The key now is for the state to disburse the funding in a responsible and efficient manner.”

 

Today’s announcement by Secretary Spellings follows unprecedented congressional action during the 2005-2006 academic year to provide $880 million in reimbursement funds for public, including charter, and private schools that enrolled students displaced by the hurricanes.  Last year, Congress also committed $750 million in funds to help damaged schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas access services, equipment, and supplies as they rebuilt.  Moreover, Congress has provided $250 million to assist higher education systems in states impacted by last year’s hurricanes and for colleges and universities enrolling displaced students.

 

“Having visited Gulf Coast schools earlier this year, I was struck by the determination of the region’s teachers, administrators, and students,” said Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Chairman of the House Education Reform Subcommittee.  “There are still countless obstacles ahead, but there is hope that this path will be a little less difficult for the region's schools with additional resources.  The tenacity of those in the Gulf Coast to rebuild is contagious, and one year later I am glad we are still finding ways to be of assistance.”

 

Castle joined Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) in leading a Committee hearing earlier this year, at which Gulf Coast educators shared success stories and continuing difficulties experienced by schools in the region.  Some witnesses cited the need not only for resources, but also for less bureaucracy to stand in the way of those resources reaching students and schools. 

 

“One year later, our commitment to students and schools impacted by the Gulf Coast hurricanes is as strong as ever,” concluded McKeon.  “I commend the Secretary for her action today, and I urge continued work at all levels of government to remove as much bureaucracy as possible from the education recovery process.  Injecting more funding into the recovery is important, but making sure it reaches the schools and students who need it in a timely, efficient manner is even more imperative.”

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