RESOLUTIONS FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNLA SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 6-RELATIVE TO THE IMPACT OF FEDERAL DEFENSE ACTIVITIES ON CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Whereas the establishment and operation of federal defense activities create an impact on the public schools of the areas adjacent thereto; and Whereas the Federal Government has recognized responsibility for the impact on affected school districts through the enactment of Public Laws 815 and 874; and Whereas it is now proposed that Congress modify the apportioning formula of the existing laws; and Whereas the modification of the existing formulas would result in reduced apportionments to all local school districts serving children in federally impacted areas; and Whereas many school districts in the State of California would be so affected by such reduction; and Whereas it is desirable that the present formulas be continued separate from any consideration of education aid under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Economic Opportunity Act, or any other Federal proposal for specific aid to education: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of California, jointly,-That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully memorializes the President and Congress of the United States to continue for the 1966-67 school year the vitally needed programs of assistance to public education in Public Laws 815 and 874 by retaining the present apportionment formulas and the present level of aid; and be it further Resolved, That the secretary of the senate is directed to transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States. ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION 9-RELATIVE TO THE CONTINUATION OF THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS UNDER PUBLIC LAW 874 AND PUBLIC LAW 815, OF THE 818T CONGRESS Whereas activities of the Federal Government and related military, industrial, commercial and scientific operations are conducted on an immense and increasing scale within the State of California, have involved the removal from local tax rolls of substantial amounts of otherwise taxable property, and have cast upon local governmental agencies the burden and responsibility of providing governmental services for large and increasing numbers of people employed and otherwise involved in those undertakings, all to a degree perhaps unparalleled anywhere else in this nation; and Whereas the impact and burden of these Federal activities and related undertakings are nowhere more keenly felt than in the many school districts which have been called upon to provide educational services for the thousands of children who are dependents of persons who are employed in or otherwise associated with these operations, and with respect to whom little or no local tax support or fiscal subvention is available to the agencies conducting the schools; and Whereas the Congress of the United States has long recognized the special burdens so imposed upon local educational agencies and has provided substantial financial subventions therefor through legislation embodied in Public Law 874 and Public Law 815 of the 81st Congress, as from time to time amended; and Whereas in a considerable number of school districts in this state the impact of these Federal and related activities is so pronounced that any substantial reduction in the subventions afforded under these Federal laws would confront the districts, as well as the State itself, with a major fiscal crisis in financing the continued operation of the public schools involved; and Whereas the question of whether or not the subventions being afforded under Public Laws 874 and 815 should be continued is before the Congress, and it is of the utmost importance to major segments of the public school system in California that the subventions be continued at undiminished rates: Now, therefore. be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully memorializes the President and the Congress of the United States to continue the vitally needed programs of assistance provided for in Public Laws 874 and 815; and be it further Resolved, That the chief clerk of the assembly is directed to transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative of California in the Congress of the United States. STATEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO S. 3046 Hon. ROBERT C. BYRD, Senate Building, Washington, D.C. ROANE COUNTY SCHOOLS, Spencer, W. Va., January 3, 1966. DEAR SENATOR BYRD: I certainly do appreciate the help you gave us on the ESEA question of school eligibility. The change in this regulation was definitely a help to our County. This change of using a percent and/or a numerical figure permitted us to qualify both large schools in Spencer. These two schools had 345 children from low income families. This represented almost thirty percent of the economically deprived children in Roane County. We have only three small schools that will not qualify now. They have a total of twenty-five economically deprived children enrolled. We are pleased with the change in the eligibility rule. I do feel, however, that all the economically and educationally deprived children should be included regardless of where they are. It is my responsibility to write the projects proposals for ESEA in our County. To be very frank about this act, I am disappointed with the complexity of getting projects written and approved, the uncertainty of projects renewals, the limitations of construction and renovations of classrooms, limitation on use of equipment purchased under this act, retention of title on all equipment by the Federal Government and the limiting of the funds to special programs rather than basic programs. I feel a general federal aid bill would have been of more value to a rural county such as ours. In considering who is educationally deprived in Roane County, it would be a true statement that all children in our County would fit this definition. This is supported by many facts such as lack of classroom space, overcrowded rooms, eighteen one and two room schools, long bus runs, lack of qualified teachers, low teacher salaries, lack of supporting services such as; guidance, social work, health, lunch and library. We now lack leadership personnel and this will become worse in the coming years. I urge you to support school building construction and general aid to education. I feel the monies should be allocated to the local school systems and used to build a sound basic program. Local school systems should be held accountable for the funds, but not tied down on how to spend these funds. I have several examples on how we would like to have spent our ESEA funds, but the rules and regulation of the act, the United States Office of Education and our State Department has limited and complicated the use of these funds. I would be very happy to expound on these examples provided you would like the information. Sincerely yours, Hon. ROBERT C. BYRD, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. JOHN D. KINGERY, Assistant Superintendent. RALEIGH COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, SIR: It is an unusual pleasure for me to write to you concerning the great benefits that have come to the Raleigh County School System from programs made available under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Forty seven schools in our county have qualified for benefits under the Act. Mr. C. G. Peregoy, former principal of Woodrow Wilson High School, is director of the program and James K. Lowry, former teacher at Sophia High School is assistant director. Both these men are doing outstanding jobs. We are now operating under a comprehensive project approved by the State Department of Education in the amount of $946,363.38. We have employed 70 remedial teachers, 52 teacher aides and 50 instructional secretaries, one social worker, two health nurses, and four central office secretaries and clerks. Additional personnel is being added as fast as competent persons are located. In addition, much needed books, teaching aids, equipment, supplies, etc. are being purchased. The impact of this program on our school system has been tremendous and we have only begun. Principals, teachers, parents, and pupils are all excited about the program. I am getting good reports on the program from all over the county. Teachers are telling me that remedial classes are really helping children to catch up. We are also planning six-week summer schools in various parts of the county for eligible children. We feel that the summer schools will be an important part of our comprehensive program under the Act. The main problems we have had to date in initiating the program center around inadequate or lack of classroom space and insufficient qualified personnel. Since Raleigh County is bonded to the limit for building construction and taxed to the limit for other school purposes, I do not see how we can solve the classroom shortage satisfactorily. I believe we can eventually obtain the necessary trained personnel if we can be assured the program will be permanent. I hope I have the opportunity to talk with you when you are back home again regarding this great federal effort in education. I feel inadequate to tell you of all the merits of the program in writing. As I have observed the operation of the Act to date, I would like to suggest that Congress take the following measures to strengthen the Act in order that greater benefits may be realized: 1. That the renewal of Titles I, II, III, and V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-10) be made a matter of urgent priority by the Congress of the United States; that the authorization be for at least four years in order to assure continuity and continued progress in the improvement of the educational program; that the appropriations within each of these Titles be increased substantially to insure growth and extension of the program; and that the appropriations for funding of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act be made before June 1, 1966, in order to facilitate budgeting and employment of personnel in local school systems and efficiency in the use of such funds. 2. That there be a sizable additional appropriation of monies under Title I or through other means to provide capital outlay funds for buildings. It is apparent that there is a tremendous need for additional classrooms and other facilities to carry out projects under Title I. Many communities have reached their debt ceiling and cannot provide these facilities. A sizable proportion of the funds now available under Title I to improve the educational program cannot be used by local school systems unless some way is found to provide additional facilities. 3. That additional funds be provided in Title V to be allocated to state departments of education which could be dispensed to local school systems for financial assistance in planning programs under Titles I and III. At the present time local school systems must finance a substantial cost in the planning of programs and writing proposals. These costs must be borne by other parts of the regular school program to the detriment of the program in general. 4. That jurisdiction over supplemental educational services under Title III should rest in the state educational agency rather than in the federal office of education. Also, I suggest the following adjustments in other federal programs to better serve the people : 1. (a) That the Adult Education and Head Start Programs which are presently a part of the Economic Opportunity Act under the jurisdiction of the Office of Economic Opportunity be transferred to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. (b) That the Manpower Retraining Act be transferred from the Department of Labor to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare as a part of the Vocational Act. These three programs are primarily educational programs and should be administered under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Education. 2. That appropriations for P.L. 874 and for the distribution of surplus com modity foods not be discontinued, diminished, or eliminated. I extend my very best wishes to you in the excellent job you are doing for our state. Sincerely, SHERMAN C. TRAIL, Superintendent. BOARD OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, Hon. GEORGE A. SMATHERS, DEAR SENATOR SMATHERS: Knowing that you have a health problem of considerable severity it is with some degree of reluctance that I am writing you. At the same time the matter at issue is of great significance and I feel that you may be a key factor in resolving it. Therefore, I am placing this request before you for your earnest consideration. As you know, Congress has enacted a number of laws in recent years which have had a direct impact on our schools. It has also passed a number of other laws relating to the reduction of the problems surrounding poverty which are momentous in their implication for education. At the present time news reports indicate that there is some likelihood of a cutback in some or all of these programs because of the necessity for concentrating on the Vietnam situation. I can see where his necessity might exist and also can see where restrictions or temporary delays might be applied to some of the new programs. This is not the case in all instances, however, and it is with the continuance of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that I am concerned. On the assumption that this was an ongoing and permanent program we have used the funds provided by this Act to chart a new course with respect to the use of personnel working in the schools. Among other things we have created thirty new teacher positions and six supervisory positions, plus seventy-eight positions utilizing members of the community available and qualified for employment in the schools. The really significant point here is that through the use of these federal funds we have shifted quite a few highly competent school people into newly created positions and are replacing them with other teachers and personnel through a process of recruitment. This means that at the end of the current fiscal year, June 30, 1966, we will have added quite a number of persons to our staff and will be faced with the necessity of arriving at a contractual agreement with them for the following year. As you can see should the funds coming to us through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act not be forthcoming we would be in very serious trouble with respect to placement of and retention of the rather considerable number of people involved. All our carefully developed plans for expanding our school program to encompass the objectives of the Act would be set back because of the disruption and inconvenience occasioned by the shifting of personnel within the system. It is extremely important for us to know-and I am certain that this is a nationwide situation-that Congress plans to finance the Elementary and Secondary Education Act next year. We are even now working on next year's budget and this information really should be available to us now. You can imagine the uncertainty that will exist in the minds of the people involved if they should finish the school year not knowing for a certainty what their status would be for the following year. Another vital factor revolves around the great amount of planning and implementation that is part of such a significant undertaking as is included in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. We cannot afford to spend our time meeting the requirements of the Act and striving to reach its objectives only to find that it was a one-year proposition and that all we have planned would have to be left undone and that all the people affected would have to seek other employment. My request is simply that you use your very considerable influence to achieve an early decision as to the status of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for the fiscal year 1966-67 and that all School Boards throughout the United States have this information in time to plan their budgets wisely. Let me add that Title I of the Act is the absolutely essential one. It is the one which is having the impact which I am describing. The other titles are important but are not absolutely essential. The financing of Title I and an early decision concerning it is absolutely essential. It may be that you would like to have one of your staff members examine our Title I project, which is enclosed, to get the feel of its rather significant impact. 63-285 0-66—pt. 6—18 |