The House Appropriations Committee last week approved a supplemental fiscal 2007 spending bill to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that includes $30 million for public schools still struggling to recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The measure was approved by a vote of 36-28 on March 15.
The language on hurricane-affected schools is based on a measure introduced this month by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif, the chairman of the House education committee. That bill would authorize incentives to attract high-quality teachers and administrators to work in areas affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. The bill would provide funding for affected school districts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The money could be used to pay for educators’ salary bonuses, relocation expenses, and forgiveness of their student loans. The hurricane-affected schools have had difficulty recruiting and retaining experienced staff members. (“Desperately Seeking Educators,” Feb. 21, 2007.)
The full House will likely consider the supplemental-spending bill this week.
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