Rep. Royce Secures Education Funding Owed to Los Alamitos Schools
Washington,
Nov 18 -
This week, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) helped secure the remaining Fiscal Year 2007 funds, $861,887, owed to the Los Alamitos Unified School District (LAUSD) for its Impact Aid program.
"I know how important this funding is to LAUSD and to the children of Orange County. I am pleased that the Department of Education was finally able to make good on its commitment," said Royce.
The federal government created the Impact Aid program to compensate school districts that contained federal property. Local property taxes are a major source of revenue funding for school districts. If there is federal property within a district education funding is significantly reduced, because no tax is paid on federal property. About 245 school districts across the nation receive significantly reduced education funding because of the federal property within their boundaries.
LAUSD contains two military bases, the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos and the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach. These bases remove about 40% of the total District from its property tax rolls.
Earlier this year Rep. Royce contacted the Department of Education after hearing LAUSD hadn’t received education funding owed to it through the Impact Aid program for Fiscal Years 2007 through 2010. This week Los Al received $861,887 as a final payment for 2007, making the total from that year $3.5 million. LAUSD is still owed funding for FY2008 through 2010.
"Federal Impact Aid funding is essential to Los Alamitos USD's fiscal solvency which enables the District to continue, even during dire fiscal times, to provide educational programs that produce excellence in our students' academics, arts, athletics, and active citizenship. Los Al wants to thank Congressman Royce for his ongoing and active support of our District and Impact Aid funding," said Patricia Meyer, LAUSD Assistant Superintendent.
"The funding received through Impact Aid is critical to LAUSD, especially during California’s tough budget crisis. I will continue working to ensure LAUSD gets what it is owed," said Royce.
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