Aumua Advises ASG of New Estimates for Increased Education Funding

Pago Pago –Friday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata, in a letter to Governor Lolo this week, stated that she was pleased to inform the Governor, and American Samoa Government (ASG) officials, that the anticipated increase to elementary and secondary education on the island will be even larger than previously expected.

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“I could not be more pleased to share the latest estimates from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) with the Governor,” stated Amata. “I had already informed the Governor that formula change that I was able to negotiate with Chairman Kline of the House Education Workforce Committee will allow for a huge increase to the island’s budget for education,” continued the Congresswoman. “At the time of passage through Congress, we estimated the increase to be somewhere around 40 percent. The latest figures from CRS estimate the increase to be more around 67 percent,” continued Amata.

In 2015, the American Samoa Department of Education budget was approximately $10 million. The new formula negotiated by Congresswoman Amata will allow for an approximate 67 percent increase to the education budget beginning in 2017. This 67 percent increase means that the education budget in 2017 will be approximately $18 million. This is an even greater increase than previously determined, which was $14 million.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which President Obama signed into law in December, is a five year reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which authorizes funding for the states’ education departments through block grants.

While the bill was still in the jurisdiction of the House Education & Workforce Committee, Congresswoman Amata met with Chairman John Kline of Minnesota to express the need for a change in the way the funds are distributed to the territories. The Congresswoman was able to clearly express the need for a change to the formula and the challenges that American Samoa faces in educating our young people. Following the discussion with Congresswoman Amata, Chairman Kline clearly saw the need for the change, and it is reflected in the bill the President signed into law.

Should there be no decreases to the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDOE) budget, which are not expected, and in fact only increases are anticipated, then the American Samoa Department of Education will begin to see this increased funding in the summer of 2017, when the block grants for the 2017-2018 school year are issued.

This new authorization also loosens the stringent federal oversight of the failed policies of “No Child Left Behind”. The bill also reduces federal oversight, and addresses issues such as accountability, testing requirements, distribution and requirements for grants, fiscal accountability requirements, and the evaluation of teachers. It also provides states with increased flexibility and responsibility for developing accountability systems, deciding how federally required tests should be weighed, selecting additional measures of student and school performance, and implementing teacher evaluation systems.

“I would like to once again thank Chairman Kline and his committee staff for their hard work and dedication in seeing this measure through Congress and on to the President’s desk. I also want to again thank my colleague Congressman Sablan of CNMI, whose assistance on the issue was indispensable,” continued Amata. “I am excited about the new resources and opportunities this increased funding will bring our young people,” concluded Amata.

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