Congresswoman Aumua Amata has informed Governor Lolo Moliga that the anticipated increase in funding to elementary and secondary education for American Samoa will be larger than expected.
The latest estimates from the Congressional Research Service put the increase in education funding for American Samoa at around 67 percent, instead of 40% as originally thought.
In 2015, the American Samoa Department of Education budget was approximately $10 million.
Congresswoman Aumua says the new formula she negotiated will allow for an approximate 67 percent increase to the education budget beginning in 2017.
This 40 percent increase means that the education budget in 2017 will be approximately $18 million.
Aumua said, This is an even greater increase than previously determined, which was $14 million.
The funding is through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which President Obama signed into law in December.
It’s a five year reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which authorizes funding for the states’ education departments through block grants.
The bill reduces federal oversight, and addresses issues such as accountability, testing requirements, distribution and requirements for grants, fiscal accountability requirements, and the evaluation of teachers.
It also provides states with increased flexibility and responsibility for developing accountability systems, deciding how federally required tests should be weighed, selecting additional measures of student and school performance, and implementing teacher evaluation systems.
Aumua thanked Chairman Kline and his committee staff for their hard work and dedication in seeing this measure through Congress and on to the President’s desk.
She also thanked Congressman Sablan of CNMI, “whose assistance on the issue was indispensable.”
