Oklahoma school districts which receive less tax revenue because they are in an area with large swaths of tax-exempt property could see some relief under a bill pending in Congress.
U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, recently joined three other senators in sponsoring the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act, which would boost funding for federal Impact Aid programs, Mullin’s office said in a March 17 news release. Impact Aid, which began in 1950, provides payments in lieu of taxes to school districts in areas where the federal government holds tax-exempt land.
Oklahoma has more school districts receiving Impact Aid funding than any other state, according to the release.
“Oklahoma K-12 schools often face unique budgetary challenges due to the presence of vast tax-exempt federal property, including large military installations and Indian territory,” Mullin said. “Our bipartisan bill, the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act, will provide our schools with the resources they need to make up this lost revenue and provide the best education for our children.”
Mullin’s office said Friday that the bill would authorize an additional $1.1 billion for Impact Aid programs. Those programs provide assistance for school districts that serve the following groups:
• Military families.
• Native American families living on tribal lands.
• Families working on national parks and forests.
• Students in low-rent public housing.
• Students with disabilities.
The measure would also boost funding for $72 million for the federal Children With Disabilities program by $72 million and increase funding for the Construction Payments program by $27 million. The CWD program provides assistance to school districts that educate children in one of the designated groups who also qualify for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, and the Construction Payments program helps school districts with federally connected children cover the cost of construction and repairing school buildings.
S 871 was originally introduced during the previous Congress and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, but it did not receive a vote. The measure was reintroduced this year.
Sens. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico; Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina; and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York co-sponsored the bill.