NSBA’s Actions to Support an Economic Stimulus Package for Schools

The National School Boards Association (NSBA), our state school boards associations, the Federal Relations Network (FRN) members, and local school districts successfully advocated together to include education funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Our efforts include the following:

• As early as January 2008, NSBA has been advocating for a stimulus package that includes a strong education component.
• In addition to advocating for funding for special education (IDEA), Title I and an economic stabilization fund, NSBA has led advocacy efforts for federal tax provisions and guidance on school bonds that will help address challenges to credit and debt service for school districts caused by the economic recession.
• NSBA met with the President’s Transition Team six times to discuss the components of the economic stimulus package.
• 1,000 school board members and state leaders attended the Federal Relations Network Conference (FRN) several days before the legislation was being considered in the Senate when opponents were advocating against including education funding in the final economic stimulus bill.
• NSBA conducted a school construction survey and received over 1500 responses which helped solidify the bill’s provisions for Qualified School Construction Bonds and Qualified Zone Academy Bonds issued by state and local governments. Qualified School Construction Bonds were created in the economic stimulus as a new category of tax credit bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of public school facilities or for the acquisition of land on which a public school facility will be constructed.
• Over 3,000 e-mail contacts were made to Capitol Hill in addition to contacts made via phone calls, faxes and visits.

For more information, please visit our Economic Stimulus Resource Center.