Indochinese Refugees in the United States Announcement of Federal Emergency Assistance to Affected School Districts.

The administration has asked the Congress to approve the reprograming of $6 million in FY 1980 funds for the Office of Education in order to provide emergency assistance to school districts which have been most affected by the influx of Indochinese refugee children.

In letters to the chairmen of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees' Subcommittees on Labor, Health, Education, and Welfare, HEW Secretary Patricia Harris requested the reprograming as an immediate and temporary measure to provide immediate help to these school districts.

The funds would be reprogrammed from five areas in the Special Projects and Training appropriation of the Office of Education. Secretary Harris' letters explain that the supplemental appropriation request for refugee activities which will be submitted in January, with the President's 1981 budget, will include $6 million to restore the funds proposed for reprograming.

Since the President's decision in June to double the number of new Indochinese refugees entering the United States, an estimated 20,000 refugee children have arrived. An additional 45,000 are expected by the end of the current school year.

There is a critical need for educational assistance, because many of the new group of Indochinese refugees have no proficiency in English and lack other basic skills. Many of the refugee children require several types of special educational services.

Because many of the refugees are resettling in only a few States and localities, the impact on some school districts has been substantial. Because States and local agencies have already determined their budgets for the 1979-80 school year, they have limited flexibility to divert resources to serve the Indochinese refugee children.

The administration sent legislation to the Congress earlier this year that would provide aid on a comprehensive, on-going basis to refugees and to local governments and school districts that need assistance in dealing with refugee programs. The President urges passage of that bill to provide a sound foundation for future aid in this area.