FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
?
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
John L. Winn
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
LINDA K. TAYLOR
CONTACT PERSON:
NAME:
Linda Champion
PHONE:
(850) 245-0406
SUNCOM:
205-0406
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: January 9, 2006
TO: District School Superintendents
FROM: John L. Winn
SUBJECT: Impact Aid for Displaced Students
President Bush signed into law the Hurricane Education Recovery Act on December 30, 2005.
A portion of this legislation authorizes a $645 million grant program to provide emergency
impact aid for displaced students.
Under this program, state educational agencies (SEAs) will receive emergency impact aid
funding to provide assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the cost of educating
students enrolled in public and non-public schools who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita during the school year 2005-06. SEAs may request funding of $6,000 for eligible
displaced students who are not students with disabilities and $7,500 for eligible displaced
students with disabilities.
LEAs qualified to receive emergency impact aid payments are those that serve an elementary
school or secondary school (including a charter school) and serve areas which include an eligible
non-public school that enrolls an eligible displaced student. LEAs serving these non-public
schools shall, at the request of the parent or guardian of the eligible student who is enrolled in a
non-public school served by the LEA, use the impact aid to provide quarterly payment to an
account on behalf of the displaced student.
325 W. GAINES STREET • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0505 • www.fldoe.org
Impact Aid for Displaced Students
January 9, 2006
The aid may be used for compensation of personnel, including teacher aides, materials and
supplies, mobile educational units, leasing of space or sites, tutoring, mentoring, reasonable
transportation costs, health, counseling and support services.
The Act specifies that the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) must publish a notification of
the availability of funds not later than 14 calendar days after the enactment of the law; therefore,
it is likely that we will be able to provide additional information soon. The Act also specifies
that each eligible LEA must submit an application to the SEA within 14 calendar days after the
USDE publishes its notification. The minimum required documentation (to be submitted
quarterly) is specified in Section 107(c)(2) and includes the following:
9
The number of displaced students (both students with disabilities and those without
disabilities) enrolled in the LEA’s elementary and secondary schools;
9
The number of displaced students for whom the LEA expects to provide payments to
accounts established for students enrolled in eligible non-public schools; and
9
An assurance that the LEA will make payments to accounts for students enrolled in
eligible non-public schools within 14 calendar days after receiving the funds.
Although there have been informal communications with the Emergency Impact Aid office,
specific guidance and direction is expected in the near future. Indications are that each state
agency will be required to submit an electronic application to the Emergency Impact Aid office.
The electronic reporting system is expected to be available next week. The Emergency Impact
Aid office is expected to provide application templates for use by SEAs and LEAs and a
Questions and Answers document dealing with specific provisions of the federal legislation.
Additional information regarding the Hurricane Education Recovery Act will be provided as
soon as it is available.
