Emergency School Aid Act

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #170 (299-120))

Emergency School Aid Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to reestablish the Emergency School Aid Act as title VI of ESEA.

Makes the emergency school aid program a categorical grant program to assist public school desegregation.

Authorizes appropriations for the emergency school aid program for FY 1984 through 1986.

Directs the Secretary of Education to reserve not more than five percent of such appropriations for each fiscal year for special State projects by State agencies to provide supportive services to local educational agencies (LEAs) to implement voluntary or court-ordered plans to eliminate or reduce minority group isolation in such agencies. Makes the remainder of such appropriations available for grants and contracts to LEAs which meet specified eligibility requirements.

Prohibits funding for the emergency school assistance program for any fiscal year unless the amount appropriated to carry out the education block grant under chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 for such fiscal year is at least 95 percent of the amount appropriated for the preceding fiscal year.

Includes among specified types of LEAs eligible for emergency school aid program assistance any LEA which is located within, or adjacent to, a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA), the schools of which are not attended by minority group children in a significant number or proportion, and which has made joint arrangements with the schools of an LEA located within that SMSA which are attended by minority children in significant proportion, for the establishment or maintenance of one or more integrated schools.

Sets forth provisions relating to authorized activities, applications, payments, and attorney fees.

Prohibits funds for the emergency school aid program from being used for the transportation (or purchase of equipment for transportation) of students or teachers in order to overcome racial imbalance, or carry out a racial desegregation plan, in any school or school system.

Amends the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 to delete references to the emergency school aid program under the block grant provisions of such Act.