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For
Immediate Release Contact: Betsy Hart
June 05, 2008 (202) 226-8555
HERSETH
SANDLIN SUPPORTS CRITICAL FUNDING FOR RURAL SCHOOLS
Bill Funds Education Needs for Black Hills School Districts Facing Funding
Shortfalls
June 5,
2008, Washington D.C. - Today,
Rep. Herseth Sandlin voted to help meet critical education needs in
South Dakota school districts by extending the Secure Rural Schools
program. The program, which is set to expire on June 30, 2008, provides
resources for school districts whose local property tax base is diminished
due to federal land within the district. A number of school districts
in and around the Black Hills are affected, including Custer, Hill City,
Lead-Deadwood, Elk Mountain and Spearfish.
Under the Secure Rural Schools program originally enacted in 2000, federal
timber receipts have been returned to the counties in which national
forest lands are located to be used for public schools and roads. These
county payments are vital in ensuring that school districts including
Custer, Hill City, Lead-Deadwood, Elk Mountain and Spearfish have the
resources and staff they need to provide children and youth in communities
across the Black Hills access to a high-quality education.
Rep. Herseth Sandlin said “Rural school districts around the Black Hills
are already facing tough economic conditions. That’s why we need to
reauthorize the Secure Rural School program to ensure that they have
the resources they need to provide a quality education to the next generation
of South Dakotans. Children in Western South Dakota shouldn’t suffer
simply because of the fact that they happen to live in a school district
with large amounts of federal land. They should have the same educational
access and opportunities as anyone else.”
Failure to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program would result
in the funding formula reverting to pre-2000 levels, causing dramatic
shortfalls for the operating budgets of a number of school districts
in the Black Hills, including:
- Custer School
District funding would be reduced from approximately $310,000 to $90,000
- Hill City School
Districts payments would be reduced from approximately $500,000 to
$158,000
- Lead-Deadwood
School District would be reduced from approximately $319,000 to $97,000
- Elk Mountain
would be reduced from approximately $195,000 to $62,000
- Spearfish received
approximately $88,000 this school year but budgeted for an 80 percent
reduction. However, increased energy costs, among other factors, make
this reduction almost impossible without cutting staff and/or programs.
Nationally, failure
to reauthorize Secure Rural Schools affects 40 states with national
forest land. School districts in these states would be forced to lay
off almost 7,000 teachers and other educational staff as of June 30,
2008, when their contracts expire.
Today’s bill received a majority of votes in the U.S. House, but not
the two-thirds support it required, as it was introduced under suspension
of the rules. Rep. Herseth Sandlin said, “I’m disappointed the bill
didn’t receive the support it needed today, but I’m going to keep working
to ensure that South Dakota school districts receive this much needed
assistance.”
The legislation considered today was paid for with a royalty relief
reform provision rolling back the royalty relief given to oil companies
for deepwater drilling contracts in the Gulf of Mexico. The House has
passed with bipartisan support this royalty relief reform provision
three previous times in the 110th Congress.
To see a video of Rep. Herseth Sandlin speaking in favor of the legislation
on the House Floor, click
here.
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Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the
U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition,
a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong
national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which
is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America.
She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests:
Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress,
Rep. Herseth Sandlin was one of only 15 members appointed to serve on
the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.
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