Support for Eliminating the Method B Fixed-Base Funding Formula From the Johnson-O’Malley Program.

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1969 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special education needs of American Indian and Alaska Native people; and

WHEREAS, NIEA, as the largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native educators, administrators, parents, and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Native people; and

WHEREAS, through its unique political relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established education program resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives residing both on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, American Indian and Alaska Native children receive supplemental Johnson-O’Malley (JOM) program services in public schools and tribal entities have had to reduce their programs by 7 5% due to funding losses; and

WHEREAS, local educational agencies (LEA’s) with large American Indian and Alaska Native children school enrollment are supported by public, basic education funding through local, state, tribal, and federal sources; and

WHEREAS, the student count in October 1995 fixed, indefinitely, a base number to be used for all future nationwide formula distribution of JOM funds under the Tribal Priority Allocation (TP A) budget system; and

WHEREAS, Indian student populations have been increasing for the past several years for which funding adjusttnents are not possible under this funding method; and

WHEREAS, no other education programs in any of the federal agencies has imposed a fixed-base funding method on their formula-funded programs, except JOM funds; and

WHEREAS, the Method B Fixed-Base Funding Formula is discriminatory among all of the Indian education progrrams; and

WHEREAS, the National JOM Association (NJOMA) is an organization representing the collective voice of over 275,000 eligible JOM program students and their parents/guardians nationwide; and

WHEREAS, the NJOMA’s members have approved resolutions entitled “Johnson-O’Malley Student and Funding Cap,” “Eliminate Baseline Student Count Cap,” and “Eliminate Baseline Student Count Cap, Reinstate $400 Per Capita with 6% Annual Increases and Take JOM Out of Tribal Priority Allocation.”

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION will advocate and work towards elimination of the Method B Fixed-Base Funding Formula so that the JOM program will have flexibility in growth and expansion to serve eligible JOM students;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION will collaborate with tribal governments, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and other organizations to ask the President of the United States and the U.S. Congress to remove imposed requirements which prevent the growth and expansion of the JOM program.

SUBMITTED BY: Virginia Thomas (Muscogee [Creek] Nation), Wewoka, OK.

CERTIFICATION

I do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly considered and passed by the NIEA membership assembled at its annual convention in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at which a quorum was present during the meeting held October 17-20, 1999.