David Thomas: “I support H.R. 150, the Education Land Grant Act, because it will help children in my district in Kern County…”

“I support H.R. 150, the Education Land Grant Act, because it will help children in my district in Kern County, California, to continue to attend their school situated on federally owned land in the Los Padres National Forest. Passage of this bill will finally give the U.S. Forest Service the authority to dedicate 10 acres of land currently used by the Frazier Park Elementary School for continuation of this school's operation. Many schools in the rural West were built on land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. There is often no other choice because the communities are surrounded by government owned land--``land-locked''. However, under current regulations, these schools are facing skyrocketing lease prices from the Forest Service's new land value assessment methods. Many schools are finding it almost impossible to remain open because of being hit by the higher leases. Yet, it makes no sense for the federal government to dedicate billions to general education while strangling specific schools that operate on federal land. Frazier Park Elementary is a good example of a rural school the bill could aid. Imbedded within the Los Padres National Forest, the school is now facing a financial crisis. Since 1975, the School has leased and developed land from the Forest Service. Like many leaseholders, their property has been reevaluated by the Forest Service, and the lease has gone up by 1300% in one year from $1,290 per year to $17,750 per year.”