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Nevada County received $318,000 from the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act for the 2006-07 school year - but so far the funds are not available for future years.
Sen. Sam Aanestad is trying to help rural schools and districts get short-term loan funding to make up for the delay of federal aid under the National Forest Revenue Act and the recently expired Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.
On Jan. 24, Aanestad introduced a bill in the Senate that would bring the short-term loan money to schools in some counties in Northern California.
Nevada County, however, is not the list.
There's a chance the county will be included later if the bill is amended during the committee process in the Senate or the Assembly, said Bill Bird, communications director in Aanestad's office.
"Sen Aanestad has expressed his concern to the adminstration that he wants to make sure every county that received federal funding under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act is open to the same type of benefits at the state level," Bird said. "We want to make sure everyone is included."
In a press release, Bird mentioned that Aanestad "agreed to author the legislation ... at the request of the Schwarzenegger administration."
Congress had enacted the National Forest Revenue Act in 1908 to bring money to counties with U.S. Forest Service lands. Most of the revenues - some of which went to the schools - were generated by timber sales on National Forest land. But environmental concerns in the 1990s cut the federal timber sales program and reduced the revenues.
Congress then passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act in 2000 to make up for the shrinking timber sales. But the federal legislation ended in September, and Congress has yet to reauthorize the program. Schools in rural counties therefore stand the risk of losing millions of dollars in funding.
Since there's no guarantee that Congress will reauthorize the act, Terry McAteer, Nevada County superintendent of schools, is skeptical about Aanestad's bill.
"The key thing is the word 'loan' (that the bill will make available to the schools)," McAteer said. "We will not be borrowing money to pay back based on the hope the federal government will pass the legislation.
"While it's nice to have Sacramento prepare to help, the real issue is if Washington will pass this legislation."
McAteer said he would talk about loans later in the year if the federal government acts to reauthorize the expired Self-Determination Act.
Aanestad's bill, however, must first include Nevada County among the counties eligible to ask for a loan if local schools are to benefit from the bill.
ooo
To contact Staff Writer Soumitro Sen, e-mail soumitros@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
Sen. Sam Aanestad is trying to help rural schools and districts get short-term loan funding to make up for the delay of federal aid under the National Forest Revenue Act and the recently expired Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.
On Jan. 24, Aanestad introduced a bill in the Senate that would bring the short-term loan money to schools in some counties in Northern California.
Nevada County, however, is not the list.
There's a chance the county will be included later if the bill is amended during the committee process in the Senate or the Assembly, said Bill Bird, communications director in Aanestad's office.
"Sen Aanestad has expressed his concern to the adminstration that he wants to make sure every county that received federal funding under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act is open to the same type of benefits at the state level," Bird said. "We want to make sure everyone is included."
In a press release, Bird mentioned that Aanestad "agreed to author the legislation ... at the request of the Schwarzenegger administration."
Congress had enacted the National Forest Revenue Act in 1908 to bring money to counties with U.S. Forest Service lands. Most of the revenues - some of which went to the schools - were generated by timber sales on National Forest land. But environmental concerns in the 1990s cut the federal timber sales program and reduced the revenues.
Congress then passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act in 2000 to make up for the shrinking timber sales. But the federal legislation ended in September, and Congress has yet to reauthorize the program. Schools in rural counties therefore stand the risk of losing millions of dollars in funding.
Since there's no guarantee that Congress will reauthorize the act, Terry McAteer, Nevada County superintendent of schools, is skeptical about Aanestad's bill.
"The key thing is the word 'loan' (that the bill will make available to the schools)," McAteer said. "We will not be borrowing money to pay back based on the hope the federal government will pass the legislation.
"While it's nice to have Sacramento prepare to help, the real issue is if Washington will pass this legislation."
McAteer said he would talk about loans later in the year if the federal government acts to reauthorize the expired Self-Determination Act.
Aanestad's bill, however, must first include Nevada County among the counties eligible to ask for a loan if local schools are to benefit from the bill.
ooo
To contact Staff Writer Soumitro Sen, e-mail soumitros@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
