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1 [1] (December 8, 2015)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthmbbyo0001 and id is 1 raw text is: I, Congressional Research Service Intfo rmrng theVgeglative debate since 1914 0 December 8, 2015 DOD Domestic School System: Background and Issues The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) manages one of two federal school systems that provides pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education, primarily for the children of military servicemembers domestically and overseas. DODEA employs approximately 15,000 and operates 114 schools in foreign countries and 57 schools domestically. DODEA also has arrangements with local education authorities (LEAs) that operate schools on military installations. As of November 2015, the domestic school system enrolled 22,699 students in seven states, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. This report focuses only on DODEA's domestic school system. Legislative Background Although commanders at military installations had established their own schools since the 1800s, it wasn't until 1821 that Congress first enacted law authorizing the operation of dependent schools on military installations in the United States. In 1950, Section 6 of P.L. 81-874 consolidated funding and operation of what became known as Section 6 schools under the Office of Education - later the Department of Education (ED). These schools were established in states with racially segregated schools or in those that lacked adequate free public education options. The 1981 Omnibus Reconciliation Act (P.L. 97-35) shifted funding responsibility for all DOD schools from the ED to DOD. In 1994, P.L. 103-337 replaced the Section 6 legislation and renamed the school system the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS). Authorities Section 2164 of Title 10, United States Code, provides the statutory authority for the Secretary of Defense to provide for elementary and secondary education for dependents of members of the armed forces and DOD civilian employees assigned domestically (to include any U.S. territory, commonwealth, or possession). By this statute, factors to be considered by the Secretary when determining whether to provide for domestic education include: (A) The extent to which such dependents are eligible for free public education in the local area adjacent to the military installation. (B) The extent to which the local educational agency is able to provide an appropriate educational program for such dependents. Impact Aid Approximately 1.1 million school-aged children have at least one parent in the military, and nearly 80% of these children attend non-DDESS public schools off military bases. Since 1950 (P.L. 81-874), LEAs have been authorized to receive financial aid, called Impact Aid from the Department of Education for federally-connected students enrolled in local public schools to compensate for substantial and continuing financial burden resulting from federal activities. Military-connected LEAs receive DOD Impact Aid for all enrolled dependent children of active duty servicemembers; however, the amount of aid varies depending on whether the servicemember lives on or off the installation. DOD's Impact Aid Program is in addition to the ED program. For more background on ED Impact Aid please see CRS Report R44221, Impact Aid, Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: A Primer, by Rebecca R. Skinner. Enrollment Eligibility All dependent children of DOD military and civilian employees living on an installation with a DDESS school are eligible to attend that school tuition-free. Other dependent children of DOD military and civilian employees may be eligible for tuition-free enrollment under certain circumstances. Children of DOD contractors are not eligible to enroll. DDESS schools may accept dependent children of other non-DOD federal agency employees for tuition reimbursement by the agency; however, DDESS may not accept tuition from individuals. Average tuition per student per year in FY2014 for domestic schools was $26,682. DDESS Budget DODEA's budget is supported by defense-wide Operation and Maintenance (O&M), Military Construction (MILCON), and Procurement appropriations. The O&M budget for DDESS includes items such as salaries, travel, contracts, supplies, and equipment. MILCON funds are typically multi-year appropriations for new construction projects greater than $750,000. In FY2014, DODEA's budget included nearly $935 million in funding for DDESS - approximately one-third of DODEA's total budget (see Table 1). Over two-thirds of the DDESS O&M budget is consumed by payroll costs for approximately 4,595 full- time equivalents (FTEs). Table I. DDESS Funding in Recent Years Total enacted, current dollars in thousands ($000) FY201 I FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 O&M 476,663 523,585 507,158 555,957 MILCON 198,158 137,903 38,492 378,886 TOTAL 674,821 661,488 545,650 934,834 DDESS Source: DODEA Budget Books Notes: DDESS has not had any procurement funds appropriated in the years shown. www.crs.gov i 7-570

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