Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) today sent a letter to Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) in response to his February 15th letter requesting a hearing on school safety following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Chairwoman Foxx informed Ranking Member Scott that she is requesting action from the House Appropriations Committee for school safety measures, and invited his support in seeking that action.
“It is important that we work together to support states and school districts in their efforts to keep America’s students safe,” wrote Chairwoman Foxx to Ranking Member Scott. “As the Committee learned in its February 2013 hearing, school districts and local communities need flexibility in the resources provided to them so they can adopt the tools and practices that will best help them protect their students and provide appropriate supportive services to help prevent tragedies. That is one of the reasons we included the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAEG) in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).”
Chairwoman Foxx concluded, “This week, I am sending the attached letter to key Appropriations Committee leaders requesting that they make funding the SSAEG as authorized in ESSA a top priority. I invite you to join me in sending this letter. Congress worked in a bipartisan, bicameral way to create this flexible funding, and I welcome your partnership so the program may fulfill its purpose.”
For text of the letter to Ranking Member Scott, click here. For text of the letter to Appropriations Committee leaders, click here.
