EMERSON SEEKS CONTINUATION OF SCHOOL FUNDING

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Education that the federal government should keep its funding promises with local school districts affected by the federal ownership of land.

The administration's budget plan calls for cutting portions of impact aid funding by at least 50 percent. Impact aid is federal money paid to local school districts because, in the cases of national forests or military bases, the federal government now owns what was taxable land.

In these instances, the federal government has a negative impact on local or state entities' ability to raise revenues from those areas.

In his testimony Tuesday, Emerson said: "Others have commented that reducing or phasing out funding would not have severe consequences since most districts receive small amounts of money ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 per year. Nothing could be further from the truth. These small amounts are often the lifeline for small districts in rural Missouri where the taxable property is often reduced by 50 percent or more because of the federal ownership of land.

"To many school districts, $20,000 may be a drop in the bucket, but I can assure you that in Southern Missouri the loss of this funding would do irreparable harm to the educational programs."

He said, "For a nation that understands that education of our young people is key to our future success, the proposed cuts of impact aid doesn't make any sense."

Emerson said the federal government would be acting unfairly toward children in those school districts by reducing its commitment.

School districts in the 8th District receiving impact aid payments that would fall under the proposed cuts are: Arcadia Valley, Bunker, Charleston, Clearwater, East Carter County, East Prairie, Eminence, Fredericktown, Greenville, Iron County Central, Kennett, Lesterville, Licking, Newburg, Phelps, Plato, Poplar Bluff, Puxico, Rolla, Salem, South Iron County, Success, Sullivan, Van Buren and Winona.