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Impact Aid

A group of children stand together, with a school logo and survey information.

Impact Aid Survey will be in ParentSquare on Oct. 1

The Federal Impact Aid Program Survey is sent to parents/guardians through ParentSquare on October 1. Only one parent/guardian needs to complete the information and a survey for each student is required. This information is vital because it determines how much Impact Aid funding Oak Harbor Public Schools receives from the federal government.

The Federal Impact Aid Law was passed to help make up for lost tax revenue to local districts due to non-taxable federal property in their boundaries. The amount of Impact Aid we receive is determined by the actual number of our students with parents who live or work on NAS Whidbey Island or other federal property, including Native American lands and our schools on federal property: Crescent Harbor, HomeConnection, and Hand-in-Hand. About half of our students meet these criteria. To qualify for funding, we need a completed survey for every student attending our district.

Video Tutorial & Instructions

Why is Impact Aid Important?

A Message from Captain Nathan J. Gammache, Commanding Officer, NAS Whidbey Island to All Military-Connected Families of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island

I highly encourage parents to complete the surveys as soon as possible.

Unlike most other forms of educational assistance, Impact Aid dispurses roughly $92 million annually in unrestricted federal funds directly to Washington State school districts rather than through state agencies. Our schools face continued fiscal challenges. Maximum participation is the most effective way to ensure local schools receive an appropriate amount of federal aid dollars. A low return rate will result in the loss of funding that could otherwise beneift our local schools and our children’s education.

Please support our Team Whidbey community by complteing the Federal Impact Aid Survey.

Thank you!


CAPT Nathan J. Gammache
Commanding Officer, NAS Whidbey Island

How Impact Aid Funding Works


Due to having Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) here in Oak Harbor, about half of the property value in our school district is federally owned and not taxable.  School districts rely on local taxes for a variety of programs beyond the “basic education” funds the state provides.  Communities, like ours, with federal land, do not receive property taxes for that land or the buildings and facilities on it.  However, in 1950, Congress enacted The Federal Impact Aid Law recognizing its responsibility to schools in communities impacted by federal activities, like military bases, and committed to helping offset some of the lost revenue.

Impact Aid funds are determined by the number of students in Oak Harbor Schools whose parents live or work on NAS Whidbey Island or other non-taxed federal property, including Native American lands. Recently, this has been more than $6.5 million per year. Without these funds, we could not offer many of the award-winning programs, opportunities, and services that we do for our students.

More Information About Impact Aid 

Directions for Completing Impact Aid Form in ParentSquare

Impact Aid Survey Forms will be distributed to families via our communication platform, ParentSquare on October 1. You must be logged in and connected to Oak Harbor Public Schools in ParentSquare to complete the form. Families can also request paper copies of the form from their school sites. To support families with completing the form, please view the frequently asked questions and directions below for completing the form. 

How to Complete a Form from a Web Browser

  1. Access the form from the link provided in your email or log into your ParentSquare account and find the form in your post feed. You will need to log into your ParentSquare account in order to complete the form.
  2. Click Complete Form and fill out the form.
  3. Select your student in the drop down. If you have more than one student, you will need to complete the form again for each student. 
  4. Read and answer each section carefully and entirely. For families not federally-connected, you will need to write N/A in the appropriate sections in order to submit the form.  
  5. Once you have completed each section, click “Review and Sign.”
  6. The consent form will open; Please review all information for accuracy. If your information is incorrect after signing and submitting, you will need to complete the form again. If you a find an error before signing, you can click “back to form” to make a correction.
  7. If there are no errors, then tap “Sign Document”
  8. Type your full name under Electronic Signature. Your name MUST be typed exactly as it appears in ParentSquare or it will not accept the signature.
  9. Click Submit. If you do not have the ability to continue, it is because you have not typed your name in correctly.
  10. If you need to complete another form for another student, click “complete another form.” 

How to Complete a Form on the Mobile App

Log into the ParentSquare app and tap on the post with the form or access the form through the email sent to you. You will need to log into your ParentSquare account in order to complete the form.

Select the form from the post to complete it. 

On your phone, you will need to click on the “form” icon at the top of the ParentSquare post in order to complete the form.

A school announcement on a mobile device about after-school enrichment programs, with a link to a registration form.

 

Select your student.  If you have more than one student, you will need to complete the form again for each student.

Read and answer each section carefully and entirely. For families not federally-connected, you will need to write N/A in the appropriate sections in order to submit the form.

Tap Review & Sign

The consent form will open; Please review all information for accuracy. If your information is incorrect after signing and submitting, you will need to complete the form again. If you a find an error before signing, you can click “back to form” to make a correction.

If there are no errors, then tap “Sign Document”

Type your full name under Electronic Signature. Your name MUST be typed exactly as it appears in ParentSquare. 

Click Submit. If you do not have the ability to continue, it is because you have not typed your name in correctly.

If you need to complete another form/permission slip for another child, tap Complete another form.