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WASHINGTON, DC -- The Bush Administration today asked Congress to approve a $2.45 billion relief package for the children, students, schools and colleges affected by Hurricane Katrina. Representative George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House education committee issued the following statement:
“I am pleased that President Bush supports short-term, immediate relief to the school children and school districts affected by Katrina. Congress should act promptly to ensure students quickly get back to school with the same resources and support that they had before the Katrina disaster
“But the President’s request raises a number of important concerns and questions that must be addressed.
“For example, does it address the needs of the schools in New Orleans and others directly impacted areas that are in desperate need of immediate assistance to resume payrolls, pay salaries and benefits? If we expect those schools and teachers and school officials to resume the task of educating returning children, they will need direct and immediate assistance.
“In addition, the President’s plan to launch a new private school voucher program in the midst of a disaster response creates a quagmire of legal and administrative issues that could hinder rather than expedite the return to school for tens of thousands of students. And the question is also raised as to whether private schools in receiving states get more money per student than public schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, as is likely to occur the way the President has drafted his request.
“An additional concern is whether or not the President’s plan adequately addresses the critical need to help impacted colleges retain and recruit students and faculty to their institutions. Institutions of higher education play a critical role in strengthening the gulf coast economy. If these colleges are unable to re-open their doors, the area economy will suffer.
“There is a longer term issue that appears to be unaddressed by this new request – the serious question of rebuilding and renovating K-12 school buildings destroyed or damaged by Katrina, and colleges and universities, including private colleges and private historically black colleges, damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. We must also begin to address this longer-term question. For example, FEMA money is not allowed to be used to help repair or rebuild private colleges, such as the historically black Dillard University, which was severely flooded.
“Congress will have to sort out these questions, and quickly, and I would expect that far more resources for schools than $2.45 billion will be needed
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