Impact Aid is a Federal education program that reimburses school districts for the lost revenue and additional costs associated with the presence of nontaxable Federal property. Because most public school districts are funded largely through local taxes and fees, and because Federal land is exempt from taxation, as are many of the businesses and facilities located on that land, districts containing Federal property are at a financial disadvantage in funding their schools.

Examples of Federal Impact:

• Military installations
• Indian Trust, Treaty and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Lands
• Federal low-rent housing facilities
• Federal properties such as national parks and Army Corps of Engineers projects and Federal facilities such as national laboratories and VA hospitals

Impact Aid funding is direct, locally controlled, and flexible. All Impact Aid funds appropriated annually by Congress are disbursed directly to school districts – bypassing state involvement. They can be used for any general fund purpose, such as instructional materials, salaries, transportation, technology, or capital needs. This flexibility and local control allow school district leaders to target funds supporting all students wherever the needs are greatest.

Each school district must submit an Impact Aid application annually to the U.S. Department of Education. The application includes the number of eligible Parent-Pupil surveys received. Surveys are eligible when a student has a parent or guardian who is active duty in the armed services, resides on or works on federal property, or resides in federally subsidized low rent housing.

Survey cards and the information on them are confidential and only made available to the Auditor General in the event of an Impact Aid application audit.

Each student receiving an Impact Aid Survey ensures that we are accessing every resource available to our students through the Impact Aid Program.

The Parent-Pupil Survey is essential to completing our Federal Impact Aid application. Information from the survey is used to count the total number of students in each eligible category by property.

The grant application does not contain identifying information for any student, and the survey cards are only made available to the Auditor General in the event our application is audited.