Congresswoman Aumua Amata has explained how federal grants are awarded to fund ASG departments and programs.
This is in response to a question she says she’s often asked back home: where does the money that funds our programs come from, and how much?
Take for example funding for the American Samoa Department of Education which comes from various sources and in varying amounts.
ASDOE receives:
- Federal Consolidated Grant to the Outlying Areas – $17.5 million (Covers Title I-A and other eligible programs)
- Special Education Grants to States – $6.3 million
- Head Start – $2.3 million
- Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems – $2.2 million
- Territories and Freely Associated States Education Grant Program – $880,000
- Striving Readers – $200,000
- Fund for the Improvement of Education – $18,000
- Consolidated Grants to the Outlying Areas, Recovery Act – $330,000
Says the congresswoman, “While these funds have remained fairly stagnant for the past decade, barring any reduction in the budget for education funding (which is not expected), American Samoa can expect that number for total education funding to increase from $30 million to approximately $38 million beginning in the 2017 – 2018 .
The increase is due to a change in the Title I-A formula, which funds elementary and secondary education programs in the territories.
A press release says the change to Title I-A is the result of long and hard fought negotiations between Congresswoman Amata and Rep. John Kline, the Chairman of the House Education & Workforce Committee.
The new formula will increase the Consolidated Grant to the Outlying Areas from the current $17.5 million, to over $25 million beginning in the 2017 – 2018 school year.
Aumua says, “By coming together, we were able to institute a significant change in the amount of money our islands will receive in the near future for the education of our young people.”
But she points out there is still much that needs to be done, including getting an increase to our transportation funding, and improving the services for our veterans.”
She said “I want our people to know that I will not rest until we are on par with the states regarding funding for our beautiful islands. Our people sacrifice so much in service to our great nation, and I will continue to remind Congress of that fact every day until these disparities are reconciled…I am pleased to note that it really does seem like they are finally beginning to hear us.”
