HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) will be sending a U.S. Department of Education Federal Survey Card home with Hawaii's public school students for parents to complete beginning Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015.
The Impact Aid Program surveys allow HIDOE to qualify for a partial reimbursement for educating federally connected students, such as children whose parents work or live on federal property. The program was created to assist school districts that lose tax revenues (e.g. income, sales and property taxes) due to a federal presence. Funds go to local school districts, just like local property taxes, and can be used to hire teachers, purchase textbooks and computers, pay for utilities and more. Parents are strongly urged to complete the surveys and return them to their schools as soon as possible.
"Impact Aid funds are extremely important to support our public schools and help to improve quality education for our students," said Kathryn Matayoshi, HIDOE Superintendent. "During the 2014-15 school year, the state accounted for more than 23,000 federally connected students and received more than $27 million in Impact Aid funding. We ask all parents for their cooperation to complete these important surveys."
Every public school has a 100-percent return rate goal and asks that parents complete and return the federal survey this week. Please visit our page on the Impact Aid Program for more information, or watch the video above.