Legislative Affairs

  • 1.  Advocacy: CARES Act Equitable Services for Non-Public Schools

    Posted 05-12-2020 12:43
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    ASBO International is working with AASA, The School Superintendents Association on an advocacy opportunity regarding the Department of Education's (ED) recent guidance issued on Providing Equitable Services to Students and Teachers in Non-Public Schools Under the CARES Act. 

    Please consider writing your members of Congress to let them know this suggested method of calculation is flawed and inequitable for students. (A template letter is attached.) 

    ED's guidance advises school districts to calculate the proportionate share of CARES Act equitable services to non-public schools based on overall enrollment rather than based on poverty rates in the non-public schools. This would significantly increase the share of federal funding available to private schools beyond what they would have received according to what CARES statute intended. For example, in Indiana, the guidance would triple the amount of funding available to support private schools compared to using the typical Title I process for calculating equitable services. This guidance, if enacted, will actually worsen student inequities in education, so please let Congress know. 

    If you need assistance with contacting your members of Congress or have any questions, please email us. For more background information on this issue, please read AASA's blog and this District Administration news article


     



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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 2.  RE: Advocacy: CARES Act Equitable Services for Non-Public Schools

    Posted 06-05-2020 11:49
    ASBO International is continuing to advocate on the equitable services issue pertaining to CARES Act funding to states, districts, and schools. Please read our latest legislative blog for updates on the Department of Education's (ED) plans to formalize its flawed guidance into regulation, and the financial implications for public schools, since this rule would steer millions of COVID-19 financial aid dollars away from public schools to private schools if it goes unchallenged.

    We encourage ASBO members to advocate to their elected officials to oppose ED's guidance and ask Congress to provide a legislative fix in the next COVID-19 stimulus relief package. Please feel free to use the template letter in our prior alert to communicate the financial impact that ED's guidance would have on your schools and contact ASBO staff if you have any questions or need assistance.

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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 3.  RE: Advocacy: CARES Act Equitable Services for Non-Public Schools

    Posted 07-22-2020 11:15
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    The Department of Education (ED) released an interim final rule for public comment on equitable services within the CARES Act. ASBO International and AASA The School Superintendents Association oppose the rule, which could transfer an additional $1.3 billion in funding to private schools beyond what Congress authorized under CARES, according to the Learning Policy Institute. ASBO and AASA will submit comments opposing the rule and encourage members to share feedback with ED as well.

    Please find attached an optional template letter to edit and submit your comments via the Federal Register. The deadline to submit comments is July 31, 2020. For more background on this issue, read our talking points on equitable services (p. 2), which we shared during our 2020 Virtual Legislative Advocacy Conference. Instructions to edit the template and submit comments are below.

    How to Edit the Template Letter:

    • Open the document attached to this post and follow the letter's prompts in red.
    • Tailor the message to include any relevant district information, dollar amounts lost due to the rule going into effect, and any decision trade-offs you will have to make with fewer resources available if the rule becomes law.
    • Save the document and prepare to upload it to the Federal Register via the instructions below.

     
    How to File Comments with ED via the Federal Register:

    • Visit the Federal Register/Equitable Services page here.
    • In the Comment box, copy and paste the following:
      • "I submit this comment to express my strong opposition to CARES Act Programs; Equitable Services to Students and Teachers in Non-Public Schools 34 CFR Part 76 [Docket ID ED–2020–OESE–0091] RIN 1810–AB59"
    • Click on the green "Add a File" box and upload the file of your edited template letter with your comments.
    • Fill out the remaining boxes (Name, city, country, state, zip, and email fields are required. Everything else can be left blank.)
    • Check the box 'I read and understand the statement above.'
    • Click 'Submit Comment'.

     

    ***Please consider sharing your comments with Congress as well. If you need help submitting comments to ED and/or your elected representatives, please contact us at asbousa@asbointl.org. (If you would like ASBO and AASA staff to submit your completed comments for you, please email them to us no later than Wednesday, July 29).

     



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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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  • 4.  RE: Advocacy: CARES Act Equitable Services for Non-Public Schools

    Posted 08-03-2020 10:40
      |   view attached
    Thank you to all who submitted comments to the Department of Education (ED) regarding its proposed interim final rule (IFR) concerning providing equitable services under the CARES Act. The window to submit comments closed on July 31, 2020. Please see ASBO International's comments attached, which we submitted with AASA, The School Superintendents Association and several other national education organizations.

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    ASBO USA
    asbousa@asbointl.org
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