§ 7703b. Assistance to local educational agencies that benefit dependents of members of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense civilian employees

(a) Assistance to schools with significant numbers of military dependent students

(1) Assistance authorized

The Secretary of Defense shall provide financial assistance to an eligible local educational agency described in paragraph (2) if, without such assistance, the local educational agency will be unable (as determined by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Secretary of Education) to provide the students in the schools of the local educational agency with a level of education that is equivalent to the minimum level of education available in the schools of the other local educational agencies in the same State.

(2) Eligible local educational agencies

A local educational agency is eligible for assistance under this subsection for a fiscal year if at least 20 percent (as rounded to the nearest whole percent) of the students in average daily attendance in the schools of the local educational agency during the preceding school year were military dependent students counted under section 7703 (a)(1) of this title.

(b) Assistance to schools with enrollment changes due to base closures, force structure changes, or force relocations

(1) Assistance authorized

To assist communities in making adjustments resulting from changes in the size or location of the Armed Forces, the Secretary of Defense shall provide financial assistance to an eligible local educational agency described in paragraph (2) if, during the period between the end of the school year preceding the fiscal year for which the assistance is authorized and the beginning of the school year immediately preceding that school year, the local educational agency had (as determined by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Secretary of Education) an overall increase or reduction of—

(A) not less than five percent in the average daily attendance of military dependent students in the schools of the local educational agency; or

(B) not less than 250 military dependent students in average daily attendance in the schools of the local educational agency.

(2) Eligible local educational agencies

A local educational agency is eligible for assistance under this subsection for a fiscal year if—

(A) the local educational agency is eligible for assistance under subsection (a) of this section for the same fiscal year, or would have been eligible for such assistance if not for the reduction in military dependent students in schools of the local educational agency; and

(B) the overall increase or reduction in military dependent students in schools of the local educational agency is the result of one or more of the following:

(i) The global rebasing plan of the Department of Defense.

(ii) The official creation or activation of one or more new military units.

(iii) The realignment of forces as a result of the base closure process.

(iv) A change in the number of housing units on a military installation.

(3) Calculation of amount of assistance

(A) Pro rata distribution

The amount of the assistance provided under this subsection to a local educational agency that is eligible for such assistance for a fiscal year shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying—

(i) the per-student rate determined under subparagraph (B) for that fiscal year; by

(ii) the net of the overall increases and reductions in the number of military dependent students in schools of the local educational agency, as determined under paragraph (1).

(B) Per-student rate

For purposes of subparagraph (A)(i), the per-student rate for a fiscal year shall be equal to the dollar amount obtained by dividing—

(i) the total amount of funds made available for that fiscal year to provide assistance under this subsection; by

(ii) the sum of the overall increases and reductions in the number of military dependent students in schools of all eligible local educational agencies for that fiscal year under this subsection.

A local educational agency may not receive more than $1,000,000 in assistance under this subsection for any fiscal year.

(4) Duration

Assistance may not be provided under this subsection after September 30, 2012.

Not later than June 30, 2006, and June 30 of each fiscal year thereafter for which funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary of Defense shall notify each local educational agency that is eligible for assistance under this section for that fiscal year of—

(1) the eligibility of the local educational agency for the assistance, including whether the agency is eligible for assistance under either subsection (a) or (b) of this section or both subsections; and

(2) the amount of the assistance for which the local educational agency is eligible.

(d) Disbursement of funds

The Secretary of Defense shall disburse assistance made available under this section for a fiscal year not later than 30 days after the date on which notification to the eligible local educational agencies is provided pursuant to subsection (c) of this section for that fiscal year.

(e) Funding for fiscal year 2006

Of the amount authorized to be appropriated pursuant to section 301 (5) ^[1] for operation and maintenance for Defense-wide activities—

(1) $30,000,000 shall be available only for the purpose of providing assistance to local educational agencies under subsection (a) of this section; and

(2) $10,000,000 shall be available only for the purpose of providing assistance to local educational agencies under subsection (b) of this section.

(f) Definitions

In this section:

(1) The term “base closure process” means the 2005 base closure and realignment process authorized by Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101–510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note ) or any base closure and realignment process conducted after January 6, 2006, under section 2687 of title 10 or any other similar law enacted after January 6, 2006.

(2) The term “local educational agency” has the meaning given that term in section 7713 (9) of this title.

(3) The term “military dependent students” refers to—

(A) elementary and secondary school students who are dependents of members of the Armed Forces; and

(B) elementary and secondary school students who are dependents of civilian employees of the Department of Defense.

(4) The term “State” means each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia.

[1] See References in Text note below.

U.S. Code

§ 7703b. Assistance to local educational agencies that benefit dependents of members of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense civilian employees