The Federal Impact Aid Program Survey will be 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.
Impact Aid Funding
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.
Impact Aid Survey Forms are now distributed to families via ParentSquare, our new communications platform. 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
How to Complete a Form on the Mobile App