Show Rural Schools Will Qualify For U S Aid Rep Laurence J Burton R- R RUlah Ulah Monday announced that he had received assurances from Rep Carl D Perkins D Ky Chairman of the House Subcommittee on General Ed- Ed Education that practically all rural Utah counties will qualify for Federal assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 Previous interpretations of the Act had indicated that Utah counties would be excluded from its provisions During the debate in t h e eHouse House I objected to the bill be- be because cause by its language it ap- ap appeared to eliminate from con con- consideration counties having less than school age children from families earning 2000 or orless less per year I urged amend amend- amendment ment of the bill at that time timeto to eliminate this arbitrary pupil formula Mr Burton said REP PERKINS who was chief sponsor of the measure has now advised me that rural counties can qualify for aid under the Act even though less than students in the County are from families class class- classified as impoverished by the bill Under the revised interpretation tation any County can qualify for aid provided that 3 percent or more of its child child- ren are from families earning less than the 2000 minimum Mr Burton explained This is good news for the children of the counties pre excluded As originally interpreted the aid to education program would have been ad- ad administered ministered on a very inequitable able basis There was no justi- justi liable reason for denying aid to our smaller Counties merely be- be because cause they failed to meet an ar- ar arbitrarily established minimum I am highly pleased that the children in our smaller Count Count- les will now have an ity opportunity to receive Federal help for education as well as those living in the more densely populated areas Mr Burton concluded |