Evacuees in Private Schools Can Receive Federal Aid
Posted on: Saturday, 21 January 2006, 12:00 CST
By Terry Webster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Jan. 21--Private schools are eligible to apply for federal aid for Hurricane Katrina evacuees under the Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students grant.
The federal program is being offered through the Texas Education Agency.
Parents of student evacuees enrolled in private schools must notify school officials that they want to apply for the aid, state officials said. Then, private schools will contact the nearest public school district, which will handle the paperwork and aid payments.
Officials at Nolan Catholic High School, for example, are applying through the Fort Worth school district.
The private college preparatory school enrolled 30 student evacuees, spokesman Richie Escovedo said. Nine of those students are still enrolled.
"You have to think about how many students in that area were from Catholic schools," Escovedo said. "That had a tremendous impact on Catholic elementary and high schools here."
The federal aid can be used to offset the costs of tuition, fees or transportation, according to the state.
In a written statement, state officials said they are working to help locate private schools that might have student evacuees.
That task is also falling to local school districts, officials in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford district learned.
Michele Beck, H-E-B finance director, said the district has called and e-mailed the four private schools within H-E-B boundaries. As of Friday, one private school had applied for aid for one student, Beck said.
Birdville school district officials said they had an inquiry from one private school. Additional information was not immediately available.
Statewide, about 40,200 student evacuees are enrolled in public schools. That figure reached a high of 46,504 on Sept. 29, according to the state.
Tarrant County districts that serve student evacuees can also apply for the aid. Local school districts are handling those applications.
Additional information on the grant programs is available under the "hot topics" link online at www.tea.state.tx.us.
Terry Webster, (817) 685-3819 twebster@star-telegram.com
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Copyright (c) 2006, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
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Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas)
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