WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Congressman Mike Levin (CA-49) to introduce the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act. Public schools are primarily funded through local property taxes, but that creates challenges for districts with large amounts of federally owned land—like military bases, tribal lands, or other federal facilities—which are tax exempt. As a result, these schools often struggle to make up for lost revenue. This bipartisan bill would strengthen the Impact Aid Program to ensure schools in federally impacted districts have stable, reliable funding.

The Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act supports K-12 public schools on federal land, including two schools in CA-22, Central Union School District and Lemoore Unified High School.

“Public schools in the Central Valley and across the nation depend on local tax revenue, but districts with federal land face unique budget challenges,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Impact Aid Program helps level the playing field for thousands of students in CA-22 by making sure they have access to the same high-quality education as their peers, and I’m proud to join Rep. Levin in introducing this bipartisan bill to support our students and help close the funding gap.”

“Every child deserves high-quality education, no matter where they live or their parents work,” said Congressman Levin. “For too long, Congress has failed to fully fund Impact Aid, leaving schools in our district and across the country without the resources they need. I’m proud to partner with Rep. Valadao on this bipartisan bill to close this gap and deliver stronger support to students, teachers, and military families.”

"Central Union Elementary School District deeply appreciates Congressman Valadao’s ongoing leadership and steadfast support for federally impacted schools through his co-sponsorship of the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act. Our district serves a unique student population, including children from the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi-Yokut Tribe and military-dependent families at Naval Air Station Lemoore.  For us, along with more than one thousand federally impacted districts nationwide, Impact Aid is not just a source of funding; it is essential and helps us provide the quality academic programs, behavioral supports, and learning environments our students need," said Thomas Addington, M.A, Superintendent of Central Union Elementary School District.

Addington continues, "For over fifty years, Impact Aid has been an essential resource for federally impacted school districts like ours, providing vital support to ensure our students thrive. This bipartisan legislation marks an important step toward honoring and strengthening that commitment for the future. Congressman Valadao has consistently advocated for federally connected students, and his leadership on this issue demonstrates a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by federally impacted schools and communities. We are proud to support this legislation and appreciative of his continued advocacy on behalf of the children and families we serve."

"Lemoore Union High School District sincerely appreciates Congressman Valadao for his leadership and steadfast support of federally impacted schools through his co-sponsorship of the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act. Serving children from the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi-Yokut Tribe and military families stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore, the district underscores the critical importance of Impact Aid in providing quality education, behavioral supports, and safe learning environments," said Miguel Guerrero, Superintendent of Lemoore Union High School District.

Guerrero continues, "Every school must have the resources necessary to offer students a high-quality education; however, schools located on federal land often face challenges in meeting that need without the benefit of state and local tax revenue available to traditional public schools. Impact Aid plays a vital role in ensuring that students in federally impacted districts have equitable access to the same high-quality education as their peers nationwide. This bipartisan legislation is an important step toward fulfilling Congress’s responsibility to support federally impacted school districts."

"The Kings County Office of Education strongly supports the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act. Federal Impact Aid is a vital resource for ensuring educational equity in our federally connected communities, and this legislation will help ensure our schools can meet the diverse needs of students and families from our local Tachi-Yokut tribal community and those serving at Lemoore Naval Air Station," said Todd Barlow, Kings County Superintendent of Schools.

“Impact Aid is essential to the success of school districts located on or near federal lands. Because of the federal presence, these districts and the students they serve – whether connected to military installations, tribal lands, national parks, or other nontaxable federal property – have long been underfunded,” said Cherise Imai, Executive Director of the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS). “The Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act is an important step toward meeting the federal government’s responsibility to these communities. With added resources, districts can upgrade facilities, expand academic and extracurricular programming, and strengthen educator support, ensuring every student has the opportunities they need to thrive.”

“We’re grateful to Representatives Levin and Valadao for leading on this important bipartisan bill,” said Ronn Nozoe, CEO of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). “Fully funding Impact Aid means schools in these communities won’t be left behind simply because they’re on federally tax-exempt land. This is about making sure every student has a fair shot at success.”

Supporting organizations include: National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS), Blue Star Families, Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), National Rural Education Association (NREA), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), National Education Association (NEA), Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA), Federal Lands Impacted Schools Association (FLISA), Learning Opportunity Impacted Schools Association (LO-ISA), Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA), National Indian Impacted Schools Association (NIISA), and School Superintendents Association (AASA).

The Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act:

• Increases Federal Property funding by allocating an additional $33 million annually.
• Increases Basic Support funding by allocating an additional $172.12 million annually.
• Increases Children with Disabilities funding by allocating an additional $14 million annually.
• Increases Construction funding by allocating an additional $5 million annually.
• Introduces a five-year plan to bring Impact Aid Basic Support funding closer to the full funding mark (est. $2.3 billion) by Fiscal Year 2031.
• Authorizes funding increases to better meet the current needs of federally impacted K-12 school districts.

Background:

In 1950, Congress created the Impact Aid program to provide federal support for public school districts where federal activity has reduced the available tax base. Impact Aid provides payments in lieu of taxes for schools to use for instructional materials, technology, staffing, and other educational needs. The program supports more than 1,200 school districts and over 11 million students, but Congress has not fully funded Impact Aid since 1969.

Read the full text of the bill here.

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