THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 20, 1996 TAG: 9603200466
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Known by Capitol Hill insiders as the Rodney Dangerfield of education programs, federal impact aid finally has gotten a little respect from Congress - to the benefit of Hampton Roads school districts.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted 79-21 to pass an appropriations bill for fiscal year 1996 that provides local school districts with about 95 percent of the aid they received last year.
The money helps pay to educate the children of military personnel and to help school districts offset the loss of tax dollars from military bases and the many families in the armed services that don't pay local taxes.
In Hampton Roads schools, about $14 million is at stake, with Virginia Beach and Norfolk accounting for $12 million.
The U.S. House approved a spending bill earlier this month with about the same amount of impact aid as the Senate. The Senate version contained $691 million for impact aid, down from $728 million in 1995.
When combined with $30 million in a separate Defense appropriations bill, some school systems with large concentrations of military families, such as Virginia Beach, could get as much or slightly more than last year, officials said.
``All things considered, impact aid probably fared better than anything else'' in the federal education budget, said John B. Forkenbrock, executive director of the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools in Washington.
In recent years, impact aid has become a popular target for congressional budget cutters, but this year proponents were able to rally support.
``We've always had to battle every year to get level funding,'' Forkenbrock said. ``I'm hoping that in 1997 we can hold on.''
Eric Ruff, communications director for Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said the money in the budget for impact aid represents a ``very good victory. But he's going to be sleeping with one eye open.''
A House and Senate conference committee now has to meet to resolve differences between the two bills. Observers say impact aid probably will be protected. by CNB