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Skriven 2005-09-06 23:33:38 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0509064) for Tue, 2005 Sep 6
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President Discusses Efforts to Assist Students and School Districts
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 6, 2005

President Discusses Efforts to Assist Students and School Districts
The Oval Office

President's Remarks
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2:04 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Laura and I just had a good visit with Secretary of
Education Spellings and her team about the -- about the school children who
have been displaced because of Hurricane Katrina. You know, this is a time
when a lot of families are looking forward to sending their child back to
school, and their children are excited about school. But a lot of those
dreams and a lot of that excitement has been upset for a lot of students
because of the storm.

Yesterday, we went to a shelter in Baton Rouge and met a lot of little
kids, many of whom are starting school in Baton Rouge. And it's indicative
of what's taking place across the country. A lot of school districts are
taking in these children who -- who have had to leave their homes and their
local districts. And we want to thank the schools and the school districts
and the teachers and the PTAs for reaching out and doing their duty.

We spent time talking about how to help states absorb the costs. And
Margaret is working on a plan that we'll announce to the country after a
while. The other thing that -- and by the way, they're going to set up a
web page tomorrow that will enable people from around the country to be
able to access the Department of Education web page to determine how they
can help these school districts that are bringing in the new students.

As well, yesterday, when Laura and I were in Mississippi, I ran into a
young pharmacy student that had been going to Xavier in New Orleans. And
Xavier is one of our great universities, and she was so excited about going
to school, and had to come back home because of the hurricane. And she was
concerned and worried.

One of the things that people can be assured of is that, one, we're
reaching out to other universities to encourage them to accept students,
and many are. And we will -- there will be loan forbearance and loan
extensions. In other words, the Department of Education will help those who
have -- are dependent upon student loans, will help them be able to finance
their education, will help them -- if they're not going to go back to
school -- and we hope they do, but if they choose not to -- there will be a
loan forbearance. In other words, this Education Department of ours is
going to be flexible.

I'm confident that this government of ours will be able to help the local
school districts, and I'm confident that the local school districts will
still want to maintain a high standard of excellence and make sure every
child learns to read and write and add and subtract.

Laura is going down to DeSoto County, Mississippi to comfort the folks
there and to let them know the federal government is aware of the problems
when it comes to education, and that we will step up and assume our
responsibility to make sure every single child in this country gets a good
education.

And again, I want to thank the local school districts all around the
country who are making extraordinary efforts to make sure that the children
who have been upset by this hurricane are able to find some comfort and
some solace in the midst of their anguish by being able to go to a school.

Thank you all.

Q Can you take a question on energy, sir?

Q When is the First Lady going, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Thursday.

END 2:08 P.M. EDT

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