2025 - #004: FULLY FUNDING JOM AFTER THE UPDATED STUDENT COUNT

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1970 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA as the largest national Native organization of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents, and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Native people; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed 25 U.S.C 5301, the Johnson O’Malley Supplemental Indian Education Program Modernization Act, which mandated an updated student count for Johnson O’Malley (JOM) program funding purposes; and

WHEREAS, the updated JOM student count is a critical step forward in measuring the full impact of JOM programs, the JOM Modernization Act does not come with a corresponding increase in funding which means many JOM contractors will receive less funding than they have in the past; and

WHEREAS, the most recent JOM student count was conducted in 1995, which concluded that there were 272,102 eligible students, meaning the per-pupil funding was $125; and

WHEREAS, for School Year 2025-2026, the updated JOM student count is 317,102, an increase of 45,000 and for fiscal year 2024, leaving the average per-pupil funding for JOM at $64; and

WHEREAS, to adjust for inflation from the 1995 per-pupil rate would require $263 per-pupil in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) urges Congress to increase the current and future per-pupil funding of JOM to meet the inflationary cost rate from 1995 of $125 per-pupil, and provide the adjusted amount for the total program.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NIEA until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.