Ok, crazy idea: What if you could help your child’s school get more funding? Well, you can. Through the Department of Defense’s Impact Aid for Military Connected School Districts, you can help your school get more money. Just fill out and turn in the Impact Aid form or survey, and the Department of Education provides extra money for schools with a large number of military students. Why? Because schools districts near federal property, like military installations, lose local tax dollars because federal property is exempt from local property taxes.
The DoD Impact Aid for Military Connected School Districts program serves military-connected local education agencies. As an annual congressional allotment, not a Department of Defense-funded program, it has three components:
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- Supplement to Impact Aid Program. If a school district's average daily attendance included at least 20 percent military kids during the previous school year, Congress provides extra money through the Department of Defense's yearly allotment for operation and maintenance of defense-wide activities.
- Children with Severe Disabilities. As another congressional allotment, school districts with at least two severely disabled military students get reimbursement for expenses they incurred during the year.
- Impact Aid for Large Scale Rebasing Program. Congress gives money to school districts heavily impacted by large-scale military rebasing. To qualify for these funds, the school district's average daily attendance must have had at least 20 percent military kids during the previous school year, and an overall increase or decrease of 5 percent or more of these students.
The programs allow funds to be used in any educational activity as long as it meets state and local requirements. Local education agencies must submit a Section 8003 (OMB No. 1810-0687) application each year and an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form.
Importance of returning the Impact Aid form
Each year, schools send home an Impact Aid form or survey for parents to complete, sign and return. This form counts the number of federally impacted students in the district in order to apply for available money. The school sends this survey home anytime from the fourth day of school to January 31. To be sure your child is counted, don't sign and date the form before this date.
Other Department of Defense assistance for military children
The Department of Defense Education Authority also gives grants to school districts with school-age military children:
- Competitive grant program. This grant works to boost student performance, provide professional growth for educators and add technology to programs in schools facing a growing number of military kids.
- Invitational grant program. This program's mission is to increase student success and ease the challenges military kids face because of their parents' service.
Local education agencies that receive Department of Defense grants must fill out the Office of Management and Budget Grants Management Forms, if required.
Check to see if your school district applies for these funds each year.