Impact Aid - Watertown City School District

What is Impact Aid?

We Need Your Help – Every Family Matters!

Federal Impact Aid provides important support to Watertown City School District, helping us maintain high-quality programs, safe facilities, and opportunities for all students—not just those who are military-connected. Even though only about 23% of our students are from military or federally connected families, every survey submitted helps our district secure funding that benefits every classroom and every student.

We understand that completing surveys can feel monotonous or tedious, but this funding directly supports initiatives that improve student attendance, increase graduation rates, and raise academic performance, all aligning with our district’s Strategic Plan.

Please take a few moments to complete the Federal Impact Aid Survey in ParentSquare. Each response makes a real difference in ensuring our schools have the resources needed to provide exceptional educational opportunities for all students, especially during this time of federal funding uncertainty and the ongoing government shutdown.

How are Impact Aid Funds used?

Federal Impact Aid provides revenue to local education agencies, providing essential support to school districts in educating children in areas impacted by federal activity. School districts with federal lands, military installations, federal low-rent housing or Indian Trust land within their boundaries lose local revenues due to reduction or elimination of these federal properties that are not taxable. Impact Aid is designed to compensate school districts for this lost revenue. Impact Aid is intended to offset the costs (e.g. staff, facilities, and transportation) associated with educating military dependent children and other special groups.

When our schools receive Impact Aid funding, everyone wins. Watertown City School District uses this funding to support students with academic programming, transition programming, counseling services, extracurricular clubs, special education supports and more. We are fortunate to have this support for programs that benefit all of WCSD’s students.

How do Impact Aid Funds benefit the district?

By completing and returning the Impact Aid form, you help us identify our military-connected students*, which results in aid for the district and determines eligibility for Department of Defense Educational Activity (DoDEA) grant funding. DoDEA grant funding has been instrumental in the establishment of a variety of high-impact district programs and activities involving math, science, STEM, positive behavioral supports, health & wellness, counseling, and more.

*Military-connected students are those students whose parents or guardians are either active-duty military or are civilian employees working on military installations.

Click here to learn more about military connections in Watertown City School District.

Eligibility for Impact Aid and DoDEA grants

Impact Aid programs and related grants are designed to assist local school districts that enroll federally connected students.

Watertown City School District (WCSD) is eligible for federal Impact Aid grants due to the federal presence in our area. The grants from these programs will become part of WCSD's general operating budget. They are critical to ensuring that students receive an excellent education.

WCSD uses the survey for Federal Impact Aid to identify federally connected students. In November, the survey will be made available to families. The survey is available online through ParentSquare and in print. Families without ParentSquare can request a paper copy of the survey from their child's school or may access the printable form. WCSD staff will process the information with the utmost confidentiality.