Impact Aid How districts qualify and apply for funding.

By Billie Jordan, Executive Director, OASIS

The Impact Aid Program, funded through the U.S. Department of Education, is designed to reimburse districts for the financial burden caused by the acquisition of property by the federal government. Since the program is only partially funded, on average districts receive about 40% of what they would be allocated if the property remained on the tax rolls. There is currently legislation to fully fund the program, which would provide an additional $40 million to Oklahoma schools.

There are two main categories of funding.

Section 7002: Payments to reimburse school districts that have significant amounts of federal land within their boundaries, such as Corps of Engineers property or national parks. In FY20, 33 Oklahoma districts received a total of $1,798,121.

Section 7003: Payments to reimburse districts that identify students who (a) reside on federal property, including government lowrent housing, (b) have a parent on active military duty, or (c) reside on

Indian lands. Additional funding is provided for those eligible students on an IEP. In FY20, 202 Oklahoma districts received approximately $32 million in Section 7003 funding, more districts than in any other state.

Districts receiving Impact Aid funds must apply before January 30 each year. The application is web-based through the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS). Each superintendent registers as the core user, then may assign other users to work on the application. Each district is assigned a “program analyst” with the USDE Office of Impact Aid to assist them with the application process and to answer questions if needed.

While 7002 applications are simple since the number of federal acres in a district change very little, the 7003 application requires yearly verification of students who qualify.

Most districts use Impact Aid Student Surveys to count eligible students. The date of the survey must be at least three days after school starts but before January 31. Program analysts will provide sample surveys if requested.

Districts use a variety of methods to ensure that every student returns a survey, counts the students in each category, inputs the data into the IAGS system, uploads required documentation, and submits the application. Districts have until June 30 to amend their application, and when they undergo a “field review,” may be asked for the actual survey forms or other documentation. It is important than all records are kept for three years.

The Oklahoma Association Serving Impacted Schools, OASIS, provides technical assistance to districts, helping them navigate the application process. The OASIS state conference, November 9-10 at River Spirit Tulsa, starts with a morning of very basic training to help district personnel understand the process and to provide them examples and other information to assist them in applying. For questions about Impact Aid, superintendents can contact OASIS Executive Director Billie Jordan. Contact information and other resources are available at oasisok.com ■