Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that American Samoa will receive $14,564,094 from the U.S. Department of Education under the American Samoa Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.   Prior to today’s announcement, American Samoa has already received over $30 million in State Fiscal Stabilization funds.

“I am pleased that as a result of the work the Congressional Delegates did to make sure Territories were included in the ARRA of 2009, American Samoa is getting its fair share of federal funds to stabilize its economy and educate our youth,” Faleomavaega said.

“As required under the terms of the ARRA, American Samoa must provide the federal government with certain information to receive these funds and, according to the U.S. Department of Education, it received the basic information it needed to award this money.” 
 
“The money is to be used to train teachers and principals, to improve academic standards, to modernize, renovate and repair public educational facilities, to enhance access to online resources, to implement and enhance a credible financial management system, and for other purposes.”

“In addition to the $14 million awarded today, American Samoa has already received over $30 million to help stabilize state and local government budgets, to help ASCC, to advance reforms from early learning through post-secondary education, and for Work-Study programs.
Also, over $3.4 million in Pell Grants have been awarded to students attending school in American Samoa.”
“These crucial investments in our schools and education programs will serve the youth of American Samoa and stimulate economic recovery by creating jobs in American Samoa.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his staff for their commitment to American Samoa’s schools.  I also commend our local teachers, administrators, principals and Department of Education for their hard work, leadership and excellence.  Together, we are creating a better future for American Samoa,” Faleomavaega concluded.
The full text of the White House notification is included below.

AMERICAN SAMOA TO RECEIVE MORE THAN $14 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL RECOVERY FUNDS

U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that an additional $14,564,094 is now available for American Samoa under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.  To date, American Samoa has received $53,511,721 through the ARRA.

“With this application, American Samoa provided us with basic information on what is working in their classrooms,” said Duncan.  “This data is a critical tool in helping us work together—with students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and elected officials at every level—to improve education for American Samoa’s students.”

The application required applicants to provide data that will lay the foundation for reform including:

• How teachers and principals are trained and how the areas will enhance instructor expertise in the future.
• The extent to which the applicant has a Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems that includes all the necessary America COMPETES Act requirements and how it will enhance the system by 2011. 
• The applicant’s progress in improving its academic standards and assessments and its plans to implement enhanced standards and assessments.
• The applicant’s primary needs with respect to modernization, renovation, and repair of public educational facilities primarily used for classroom instruction and plans to improve those facilities.
• The technology infrastructure currently available to students and the applicant’s plans to enhance access to online resources. 
• The applicant’s progress in using funds awarded under Phase 1 of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to implement or enhance a credible financial management system.

The application, requirements and summary of the requirements can all be found at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/statestabilization/applicant.html 

In addition to the more than $14 million announced today, the ARRA has provided $38,947,627 in funding through 7 different programs to the state of American Samoa. Prior to today’s announcement, American Samoa had received:

• $30,054,434 in State Fiscal Stabilization funds through their successful completion of part 1 of the application. The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund program is a new one-time appropriation of $53.6 billion distributed directly to states to:
• Help stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize and            avoid reductions in education and other essential public services.
• Help ensure that local educational agencies (LEAs) and public institutions of higher education (IHEs) have the resources to avert cuts and retain educational personnel and staff.
• Help support the modernization, renovation and repair of school and college facilities.
• Help advance reforms, from early learning through post-secondary education, to benefit students and families.
• $251,446 in IDEA funds. The ARRA provides $12.2 billion in additional funding for Parts B and C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Part B of the IDEA provides funds to state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to help them ensure that children with disabilities, including children aged three through five, have access to a free appropriate public education to meet each child's unique needs and prepare him or her for further education, employment, and independent living. Part C of the IDEA provides funds to each state lead agency designated by the Governor to implement statewide systems of coordinated, comprehensive, multidisciplinary interagency programs and make early intervention services available to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
• $204,598 in Vocational Rehabilitation Funds.  The ARRA provides $540 million in additional funding for the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants program. The VR State Grants program provides grants to states to help individuals with disabilities, especially those individuals with the most significant disabilities, prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment.
• $22,523 in Independent Living Services Funds.  The ARRA provides $140 million in additional funding for the Independent Living (IL) programs. The IL programs support services to individuals with significant disabilities and older individuals who are blind to maximize their leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity, and to promote the integration and full inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the mainstream of American society.
• $4,949,278 in Consolidated Grants to Insular Areas grant, which combines a number of Elementary and Secondary Education Act grants.  An insular area may elect to consolidate certain grant awards it receives.  The insular area selects which program the awards are consolidated under and may use the consolidated funding received for purposes specified by that program's requirements.  ARRA funding provided under Title I, School Improvement, Educational Technology, and Education for Homeless Children and Youths is eligible to be consolidated.
• $3,449,629 in Pell Grants have been awarded to students attending schools in American Samoa. Pell Grants are awarded based on student applications, not by state.  The ARRA provides $17.1 billion in additional funds for students across the country in need of Pell Grants. The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain postbaccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education. Students may use their grants at any one of approximately 5,400 participating postsecondary institutions. The additional funding allowed the Department of Education to raise the maximum Pell award from $4,731 to $5,350. 
• $15,718 in Work Study funds have been awarded to students attending schools in American Samoa. The ARRA provides an additional $200 million to the Work-Study program, providing colleges and universities with additional funding to provide jobs to students to help with their college and living expenses.

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