Senator Webb Requests $5 million for Military Children with Disabilities

May 22, 2009 -- Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) this week sent a bipartisan letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee requesting $5 million in Impact Aid funding from the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act to assist local school districts educating large numbers of military children with severe disabilities.

Impact Aid funding is needed to relieve strained local school districts that have seen increased numbers of military children with disabilities due to 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendations. Many of these school districts have strong Special Education programs and have higher percentages of military children with disabilities than those with non-federally connected students. Providing special education services is expensive, costing upwards of $100,000.

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“With Virginia’s public school districts educating nearly 24,000 military children a year, the Impact Aid requested is an appropriate way to support our military families and assist local school districts affected by the BRAC recommendations,” said Senator Webb.

Historically, Virginia has received the largest portion of this Impact Aid assistance. In 2006, Virginia received $2.1 million for military children with severe disabilities.

Senator Webb’s letter to the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations Chairman and Ranking Member follows.

May 19, 2009

Dear Chairman Inouye and Ranking Member Cochran:

We write to request $5 million in the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill to fund an Impact Aid provision contained in Section 363 of the Fiscal Year 2001 Defense Department Authorization Act to relieve the considerable financial strain on school districts educating large numbers of military children with severe disabilities.

School districts with a large military presence have higher percentages of students with disabilities than do districts with non-federally connected students – in part because military personnel who have children with disabilities often receive compassionate post assignments to these districts, many of which have strong special education programs.

However, the cost of providing special education services is high: services to meet the needs of these children can cost upwards of $100,000 a year (as compared to the average national per pupil expenditure of $9,796). These school districts, which are providing specialized programs mostly at local expense, need our support as they strive to educate these children.

Congress’ commitment to military children is now more important than ever, as military children from the active and reserve forces struggle with the parents’ long deployments in active combat and terrorism-related activities. Our military families give so much as they proudly defend our nation. We must do everything we can to assure them that their children are provided the best possible special education programs.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our men and women in uniform and their families, and for your thoughtful consideration of this request.

We certify that neither we nor our immediate families have a pecuniary interest, consistent with the requirements of paragraph 9 of Rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, in any congressionally-directed spending item that we requested for inclusion in the National Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Sincerely,

Jim Webb (et al)

Source: Senator Jim Webb