On May 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) will conduct Tribal Consultation on developing priorities for the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 Budget Request for the Department. The purpose of this consultation will be to receive meaningful input from American Indian and Alaska Native communities to ensure that Tribal leader views inform the FY 2025 budget development process. This consultation will advance the Department’s commitment to upholding the federal trust responsibility described in Executive Order 13175. In accordance with OMB Circular A-11, the Department has identified grant programs with Tribal implications, though Tribal leaders may provide input on other programs also. The following programs and/or program offices may be of particular interest: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Office of Indian Education · Indian Education Formula Grants Program · Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth · Indian Education Professional Development Grant Program · State Tribal Education Partnership Grant Program · Native American Language Grant Program Rural, Insular, and Native Achievement Programs · Alaska Native Education Program Impact Aid Program Office of Postsecondary Education: Institutional Service · American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), · Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH), · Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions Program (NASNTI) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: Rehabilitation Services Administration · American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS) Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education: · Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) · Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Institutions Program (TCPCTIP) Office of English Language Acquisition The consultation will be conducted by the Office of Indian Education and facilitated by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities. Venue: ZoomGov Online Platform Date: May 23, 2023 Time: 2:00-5:00 p.m. Eastern Time CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Click the link above or copy the URL into your browser and press enter: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIsf-CuqDwjE4c9BePHT0GpNfrfJgicFyc Please follow the registration link above to participate in the consultation. To maintain online security, each attendee must register individually, and registration cannot be transferred to or used by others. Once you have completed registration, an individualized access link for the session will be emailed to you with additional information. WRITTEN COMMENT PERIOD In addition to the Tribal Consultation session, the Department will accept written comments by email sent to TribalConsultation@ed.gov. The comment period opens April 21, 2023 and closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 23, 2023. Written comments received prior to the scheduled Tribal Consultation will be provided to Department officials in preparation for the Tribal Consultation. The Department of Education remains steadfast in its commitment to honor the nation-to-nation relationship and advance Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. A Tribal government may designate information provided during the consultation as “sensitive” and request non-disclosure of the information to the public. Certain federal laws, including the Freedom of Information Act, may require the Department to disclose information provided during this Tribal Consultation even if it was designated as sensitive by a Tribal government. Questions about this notice can be sent to TribalConsultation@ed.gov. This Tribal Consultation is closed to the press. BUDGET INFORMATION As described in the introduction section of this notice, the purpose of this Tribal Consultation is to receive input from Tribal Leaders on the development of the Department’s budget for FY 2025, which begins on October 1, 2024 and ends on September 30, 2025. Detailed information about the Department’s budget development process is available on our website. For background information, Tribal Leaders may review the President’s FY 2024 Budget Request for the Department on our website. In addition to this overall budget request, the Department also produces detailed budget justifications for Congress to explain the use and importance of the funds requested. These Congressional Budget Justifications for FY 2024 are also available on our website. The budget request for FY 2024, which begins October 1, 2023 and ends September 30, 2024, was informed by Tribal Consultation held last year. The FY 2024 budget request is currently being considered by Congress. We will publish a summary table that highlights the information from the FY 2024 budget request and budget justifications that is most likely to be of interest to Tribal Leaders. This summary table will be published on our website. We encourage Tribal Leaders to review the FY 2024 budget request and Congressional Budget Justifications as background information for this Tribal Consultation on the Department’s FY 2025 budget. CONSULTATION QUESTIONS During the consultation, the Department will invite Tribal Leaders to provide input on the following questions related to the FY 2025 budget request and the Department’s budget consultation process more generally. Questions on the Department’s FY 2025 budget: 1. What are your Tribe’s educational needs? Which Department programs meet, or attempt to meet, those educational needs? 2. What are the greatest educational needs of Native American students? How can the Department prioritize meeting these needs in our budget? 3. Each year, the Department writes budget justifications for Congress to explain the use and importance of funding for the Department. Those summaries for FY 2024 are posted at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget24/justifications/index.html Do these budget justifications for the FY 2024 budget adequately describe the use and importance of these funds? Are there changes that should be considered as the FY 2025 budget justifications are being written? Questions about the Department’s Tribal Consultation process on the budget: 4. The Department uses data to inform its budget and grantmaking decisions. What sources of information or data on the performance and needs of Native American students, teachers, and schools do you believe should inform budget development at the Department? If you would like these sources to be used, please share options for the Department to access them, including any needed protections or limitations. 5. As the Department conducts annual budget consultation, what information would you need to be shared in advance for future consultations? 6. What budget development questions should the Department consider asking in future years? 7. What suggestions do you have regarding how we can improve the Department’s presentation of budget information, particularly regarding funding programs with Tribal implications? REGISTER TODAY!
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