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PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE WON HISTORIC FUNDING FOR NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE FY2001 BUDGET January 2, 2001 Updated December 30, 2000 (natbud. win 1000) To better serve Native American communities and to honor the federal government's trust responsibility to tribes, the President and Vice President fought for a final FY 2001 budget that includes a total of $9.4 billion for key new and existing programs that assist Native Americans and Indian reservations. This total is an increase of $1.1 billion over Fiscal Year 2000 - the largest increase ever. This initiative brings together over a dozen agencies in order to address the needs of Native American communities comprehensively. Some of the highlights include: almost $300 million for Bureau of Indian Affairs school construction and repair; $256 million through the Department of Transportation for roads in Indian Country; and $2.6 billion for the Indian Health Service. Key components of the Native American initiative are: Budget Initiatives for Native Americans: Investing in Education and Training. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) School Construction and Repair. The President won $293 million, a $160 million increase that more than doubles the FY 2000 enacted level of $133 million, to replace and repair BIA-funded schools on reservations. This is the largest investment ever in a single year for BIA school facilities, which have an estimated $800 million backlog of repair and rehabilitation needs. Of these funds, $142 million will be used to replace at least six of the 185 BIA- funded schools on reservations. The remaining $151 million will provide for critical health and safety-related repairs and improvements. Native American Education Foundation. The Administration won passage of legislation that creates a nonprofit American Indian Education Foundation. This nonprofit organization allows private gifts to further educational opportunities for Indian children in grades K-12. Staying on Track to Hire 100,000 Teachers to Reduce Class Size. President Clinton won over $1.6 billion for his class-size reduction initiative - a $323 million (or 25 percent) increase over last year - to stay on track to hire 100,000 new teachers to reduce class sizes in the early grades. As part of this initiative, the budget will provide $3 million for BIA-funded schools to recruit, hire, and train more high-quality teachers. Training and Recruiting New Native American Teachers. Only two-thirds of Native American students successfully complete high school --far fewer than other students. In addition, schools with 1