Show q j I Rural Utah Counties Qualify if for Education Aid Rep nep Laurence J. J Burton Utah H-Utah this week announced ed that he had received assurances assurances as as- as- as from Rep Hep Carl D D. Perkins firkins D Chairman of 01 the House Subcommittee on General Education that practically all rural Utah counties will qualify for Federal Federal Fe Fe- Federal deral assistance under the tho Elementary and Sec Secondary Education Act of 1965 PrevIous Previous Pre Pro Interpretations of 01 the Act had Indicated that el eleven eleven el even Utah counties Including Grand county would be excluded ex eluded from Its provisions During the debate In the House I objected to the bill because by Its language It appeared to eliminate from consideration counties having hav hay II ing less less than han school age age children from families earnIng earning earn earn- earning ing 2000 or less per year 1 I urged amendment of the bill at that time to eliminate this arbitrary pupil formula for lor formula mula Mr Burton stated Rep Perkins who was wa l chief sponsor of the measure has now advised me that rue rural rural ru ru- ral rat counties can qualify for aid under the Act even though less than students in the County are from fam fame families lUes illes classified as Impoverished Impoverish Impoverish- ed by the bill Under the revIsed revised re roe re- re interpretation any i county can qualify for aid ald provided that 3 per cent or more of ot its school age children chit chil dren are from families earning earn earning ing less than the 2000 minimum mi ml- Mr Burton stated This is good news for lor the children of the counties pre pre- previously excluded As original originally original original-I ly interpreted the aid to education ed I program would have been administered on a very Inequitable basis There Ther was no justification for lor denying aid to our smaller counties merely because they failed tailed to meet an arbitrarily establish established ed cd minimum I am highly pleased that the children in our smaller counties will now h have ve an opportunity to receIve re receive receive re- re Federal help for lor education lIon tion as well as those living In the more densely populated areas Mr Burton concluded |