To the Editor,
Changes are coming for federal funding for Education.
These changes will likely impact Pocahontas County Schools.
The President’s budget announced last week proposes 25% cuts to districts with high poverty concentrations. Major cuts are also proposed for other federal programs. Pocahontas County receives over two million annually in federal funds. Various appropriations proposals in the House and Senate also propose cuts.
Another important program is the Secure Rural Schools Act (SRS) that provides money to school districts with lots of land in national forests. Pocahontas County receives $370,000 or more from this Act. The authorization for the program must be approved for these funds to continue. Bills have been introduced in the House (HR 1383) and Senate (S356).
These bills have bipartisan support. Congresswoman Carol Miller is a cosponsor of the House bill. While Senator Capito usually supports this funding, she is not yet a cosponsor. Calls to thank Miller and encourage Capito and newly installed Senator Justice are important now.
Sincerely,
Rachel B. Tompkins
Minnehaha Springs
