A military pact promises more federal funding to educate children of military service members, but Maryland school officials question the availability of this money at a time when federal aid is already short.
“If it comes down to staying in the military for a career, or getting out because of their child?s education, we?re going to do everything we can to give them that quality education and retain our military force,” said Kathy Facon, chief of education partnerships for the U.S. Department of Defense, which signed the recent agreement with the U.S. Department of Education.
Counties receive federal impact aid in lieu of taxing military installations, and that money helps pay for educating military children, but not the children of military contractors at the bases.
But federal aid has dropped from $2 million to $250,000 in Harford, home of Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Harford spends $868,000 to teach the 1,000 military children in its public schools, though fewer military children are enrolling, said Don Morrison, public information director for Harford schools.
In Anne Arundel, where Fort Meade is located, the $1.45 million in aid contributes about $200 for each of the 7,296 military children in the school system, which has a per-pupil cost of $10,068.
Facon said the pact aims to increase federal funding, but more needs to be done to get accurate impact aid data to the federal government.
Forms are sent home with military children, and they must be completed so the federal government can determine how much aid is needed at each school system.
“We?re on our third methodology on collecting forms, and it?s something we struggle with every year,” said Susan Bowen, budget and finance director for Anne Arundel schools.
The pact also aims to:
? Allow military children to miss class to bond with parents who return from overseas deployment;
? Make it easier for military children to transfer between schools, a common ailment of military families;
? Provide professional development for teachers at military installations.
While the pact mainly focuses on children of service members, those of the military?s civilian work force will benefit from the pact?s focus on science, technology, engineering andmath courses needed to obtain the incoming high-tech jobs.
“This really meshes well with what we?re doing, and we plan to be involved,” said Bill Reinhart, spokesman for the Maryland Board of Education.
