Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Chairman, nearly two decades ago, Congress created
the Military Housing Privatization Initiative to improve military
family housing that, in many cases, was decrepit by allowing private
developers to upgrade, maintain, and operate housing communities.

In the years since, public-private ventures created under this
program have infused millions in private capital to improve the living
conditions of military families at installations all across the country
and has made a tremendous difference for our military families across
the Nation.

As of 2011, 193,000 units of housing have been converted under this
program. Under the program, priority for housing goes first to military
personnel, then to Federal employees and retirees. However, if
occupancy rates drop below certain levels for a period of time, the
housing can be made available to the general public.

Allowing nonmilitary families with children access to this housing is
an important part of ensuring the financial viability of these
ventures, but it also presents unanticipated challenges to the host
communities where they are located, since these properties are property
tax exempt.

For example, today, there are 130 civilian nonmilitary children
residing at the public-private housing at Naval Submarine Base New
London in Groton, Connecticut.

These children attend Groton public schools alongside military
children residing in the same community; yet Groton receives no Impact
Aid support for the cost of their education. Since their housing is
property tax exempt, the host community has to absorb the entire per
pupil cost for their education.

While I was made aware of this problem because of the growing
challenge in Groton, it is clear from discussions with Navy officials
and the Groton developer that the same problem will face communities
across the country that have privatized military housing, as the size
and composition of our military changes in the years ahead.

Under current law, local schools are eligible to receive only 5
percent of the support payments for children residing on Federal
property with a parent who is not affiliated, but only if the number of
children being educated equals or exceeds 1,000 or equals or exceeds 10
percent of the total numbers of students in average daily attendance.

My amendment is simple. It would ensure that the number of civilian
children living in property tax exempt military housing can be more
adequately factored into a community's support for educating these
children under Impact Aid.

Since my amendment was made in order last night, I have heard
recognition of the problem that I am seeking to address, but also
concerns at how it would have wider-ranging impacts to this program,
particularly in light of the ongoing funding challenges in Impact Aid.

Throughout the day, my staff and I have had productive and thoughtful
discussions with the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools
and the Military Impacted Schools Association about how to address this
issue that my communities and others are facing.

I would note that the chairman of the committee, Mr. Kline, who also
serves on the House Armed Services Committee with me, has pledged to
work with my office to try and address this issue which, again, at the
end of the day, is about fairness for host communities that step up and
make sure that our military families have safe and good schools.

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