Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton today announced approval of a $58,281 contract between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Oregon State Department of Education for financial aid to school districts with Indian pupils.
The current year will be the last in which Oregon schools will receive aid under the Johnson-O'Malley Act of 1936 for the public school education of Indian children. The State has elected in the future to receive aid for Indian childrei1, as it does other federal aid, under provisions of Public Law 874, as amended, P. L, 874 provides for aid to districts with enrollment from areas of federal activity in recognition of the fact that the districts are unable to tax federal lands.
For the past nine years Indian education in the State of Oregon has been partially supported by Johnson-O'Malley Act funds. To qualify for these funds school districts had to show that Indian students and nontaxable Indian lands within the boundaries of their district constitute a financial burden. Last year the State received $70,500 in Johnson-O'Malley aid.
In Oregon these funds have been used to aid districts in integrating Indian children into the public schools so that all children of Oregon citizens, Indian or non-Indian, have equal educational opportunities. Principal use of the funds last year was in Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Umatilla and Wasco counties,
