I think your comments are helpful. One of the things that bothered me all the way through is this Federal impacted area aid. You comment on that on page 10 of your statement in the last two paragraphs. You say that there is a basic inequity in this legislation in regard to the salvation of funds from Public Law 81-874, Aid to Federal impacted areas. Then you go on to say children of federally connected families in nonpublic schools should be counted and benefit equally with children from public schools. Let me ask you this, is that done now? Dr. D'ALESSIO. Senator, I think our point is that the same forces and factors cause the same strain on the nonpublic schools as on the public schools in federally impacted areas. We simply have to live with that. Senator DOMINICK. Well, you are no worse off under this bill than you would be under the existing law is the point I was making. Dr. D'ALESSIO. That is correct. IMPACT AID Senator DOMINICK. There is some difficulty with your logic, I don't know whether it is logic or conclusion which supports the theory behind 874 that you are replacing what would otherwise be tax funds available for the public school district. They would not be available in most cases for private schools anyhow, so therefore the theory that you should stay within the public school realm on this. Now you do have a point here that where children live and work on Federal property and parents live and work there too, by and large the schools in that area are, as I remember it, to which the children go are public schools, are they not? Dr. D'ALESSIO. Yes. Senator DOMINICK. Are there any private schools in fact located. on Federal property? Reverend BREDEWEG. Not that I know of. Dr. D'ALESSIO. Not that we know of. Senator DOMINICK. With the exception of mission schools on the Indian reservations. We have had objections for the record, Mr. Chairman, to the new formula under 874 as provided in this bill, largely from those school districts who are obtaining somewhere in the neighborhood of from 50 to 85 percent of their total revenues from impacted area aid. This of course will drastically affect impact aid and they are concerned because they are not quite sure how they would come out within the State on the revenue-sharing concept, be it special or be it general. We may have to take another look at that situation, as far as the formula is concerned. I think that is worthwhile keeping in mind as we go along in trying to determine whether or not this is the formula that we want to use. In every administration since I can remember, at least since I have been here in Congress, has recommended amending 874 formula but up to today, Congress has totally resisted doing this and I have been active in resisting it. Senator PELL. Principally because the devil we know is preferable to the devil we don't. Senator DOMINICK. I think one of the things we might think about and I broached this before, is trying to do it on a declining basis in the class B group: that is the children of families working on Federal property and going to school off the Federal reservation. The fact of the matter is that most of those families if they are living off the Federal property, by the time the second year comes around are starting to pay taxes, either property taxes, assessment taxes, whatever it may be. As a result they are into the tax stream again even though the Federal reservation itself still remains tax exempt. I think we may have to work on that and have a declining scale. Senator PELL. I think we ought to consider our individual problems, too. I know in my State and actually in the community where I live, this would cause a very real hardship. I recognize the present inequity of a system whereby a county, such as Montgomery County receives large diffusions of Federal funds. If is not fair from the viewpoint of schools in the District. Senator DOMINICK. Of course this is one of the real problems that we have got. Senator PELL. District schools don't have the taxes. Senator DOMINICK. That is all the questions I have, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. Senator PELL. At this point I order printed all statements of those who could not attend and other pertinent material submitted for the record. (The material referred to follows:) [Telegram] PITTSBURGH SECTION NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN, Senator CLAIBORNE PELL, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. Pittsburgh, Pa., November 10, 1971. Strongly oppose S. 1669. Education revenue sharing erodes historical principle of separation of church and state. TOM MCCALL GOVERNOR 942 LANCASTER DRIVE NE. SALEM, OREGON 97310 Phone (503) 378-3569 November 3, 1971 The Honorable Robert Packwood Attn: Carol Crawford Dear Bob: It is my understanding that Congress is now renewing its The Oregon Board of Education supports provisions of the proposed education Revenue Sharing Act that would greatly reduce and combine the many categorical programs now in existance and which would permit greater flexibility to allocate funds so that the most pressing needs identified within the state and local school systems could be met within priorities established by Congress. The Oregon Board administers eighteen separate programs and sub- Educational priorities supported by the major categorical federal programs now in existance are very much in agreement with priority needs that have been identified in Oregon. Our own assessment of needs indicate that supplemental support is required to expand Hon. Robert Packwood -2 November 3, 1971 career education, to improve primary education and the teaching of reading, to improve education of the educationally disadvantaged, and to strengthen educational management capabilities at both the state and local levels. The difficulty lies in working our way through the maze of paper work and differing requirements that make it most difficult to coordinate the programs in such a manner as to bring various funding sources to bear upon our most pressing needs. I might add that the program consolidation envisioned by H.R. 7796 and S. 1669 would go a long way toward simplification of federal aid to education, but falls short of all that needs to be done in this regard. In addition to the programs that would be brought together under H.R. 7796 and S.1669, there are numerous programs under other Public Laws that provide assistance to the schools. These include programs administered by such agencies as the OEO, HUD, Department of Labor, Employment, and the Social Security Administration, in addition to several aid to education programs administered by various bureaus of the Office of Education, whose programs are not included in S. 1669 and H.R. 7796. Perhaps it is too much to expect that this could all be accomplished at one time, but should be considered in bringing better order to federal aid to education. Please call upon the Oregon Board for any supportive assistance that we may be able to provide you in efforts to improve federal aid program procedures. Very truly yours, Frank Wanhake Frank J. Van Dyke, Chairman FJV:wgd ROBERT W. SCOTT GOVERNOR December 22, 1971 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE The Honorable Claiborne Pell U.S. Senator Chairman, Subcommittee on Education 325 Old Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Mr. Chairman: As Governor of the State of North Carolina and Chairman of the Education Commission of the States, I have been concerned with the direction of Special Revenue Sharing measures under consideration by the recently adjourned first session of the ninety-second congress and which, presumably, will come before the next convening ninety-second session. S. 1669, the proposed Education Revenue Act of 1971, is a case in point. The enclosed testimony on S. 1669 will, I think, adequately inform your Subcommittee of my convictions with regard to this measure. I take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to you and the distinguished members of your Committee for providing for the record to remain open to receive my comments. I believe that the modifications suggested therein have validity and that if given consideration by your Committee will serve to provide the congress and the nation with a more acceptable measure and a more workable ordinance after its passage. Again, accept this expression of my gratitude both to you, Mr. Chairman, and to the members of your Committee. I have the honor to be, Kobert W. Scott Governor of North Carolina Chairman, Education Commission of the States, 1971-72 RWS:mcs |