You asked several questions about federal aid to local school districts for educating Indian children. Each question and answer is listed below.

Who is eligible for federal Indian Education Formula Grants?

The grants are available to support eligible local school districts in educating Indian children. Districts are eligible for a grant if they enroll at least 10 eligible Indian students or if eligible Indian students make up at least 25% of the district's total enrollment, whichever is less. Indian tribes and certain schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs may also receive grants.

How are the formula grants distributed?

The grant distribution formula multiplies the number of eligible Indian students by either the state's average per-pupil expenditure or 80% of the average per-pupil expenditure in all states, whichever is greater. The minimum grant is $ 3,000. Grants are reduced on a pro rata basis if the federal appropriation is not enough to pay the full amounts (P. L. 107-110, Title VII, Part A Sec. 7113).

Who qualifies as an Indian student for purposes of the grants?

For grant purposes, an Indian student is one who (1) is a member (as defined by the Indian tribe or band) of an Indian tribe or band, including those Indian tribes or bands terminated since 1940 and those recognized by the state in which the tribe or band resides; (2) is a descendent in the first or second degree (child or grandchild) of a member of such a tribe or band; (3) the Secretary of the Interior considers to be an Indian for any purpose; (4) is an Eskimo or Aleut or other Alaska Native; or (5) is a member of an organized Indian group that received a grant under the Indian Education Act of 1988, as it was in effect on October 19, 1994.

The student's parent must fill out a federal form (ED 506) identifying him as an Indian under this definition. (The identification form is included in the grant application package - see below. )

How does a local school district apply for a grant?

A district must apply to the U. S. Department of Education's Office of Indian Education. The deadline for applying for grants for next year is July 8, 2002. A copy of the notice inviting grant applications as published in the Federal Register on June 7, 2002 (Vol. 67, Number 110) is attached and is available online at http: //www. ed. gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2002-2/060702c. html. Applications, instructions, and downloadable forms are available online at http: //www. ed. gov/offices/OESE/oie/oiegrant. html. We also enclose a copy of the department's cover letter to applicants for your further information.

Does Ledyard currently receive a grant? If not, is it eligible?

In Connecticut, only Bridgeport receives an Indian Education Formula Grant, according to the U. S. Education Department's grant award database. For FFY 2000, Bridgeport received $ 15,684, or an average of $ 207 for each of its 72 eligible Indian students.

Ledyard does not currently receive a grant and it is impossible to say definitively whether the district is eligible for one without knowing how many covered Indian students it enrolls.

JL: eh