JOM paperwork and documentation needs to be turned in. The Bagley Schools Indian Education office has a list of JOM certified students that has been verified through the White Earth JOM Department. If your child is not on this list you need to either complete paperwork or provide various verifications or both. Please contact Brittany Nattress(Bagley Schools- 218-694-3120) or Trista Ayers (White Earth JOM Office - 218-983-3285) to see what is needed. We do have more students certified today than we have in the past, but paperwork needs to be completed and on file in either the school Indian Education Office or the White Earth JOM office. If you are having issues either accessing the paperwork or completing the paperwork please contact one of us. If you need to complete the JOM form please contact me or Trista Ayers ASAP as verifications and documentation may be needed.

Bagley Schools has ZERO control over student certification. We need complete documentation of Tribal Enrollment and/or descendancy due to the original being copied and sent off to each individual identified tribe if there are multiple tribes. If the tribe doesn't respond, we may need you to obtain the documentation. Another issue we are having is we don't have birth certificates and some of the tribes are requiring this as part of the paternity documentation for direct lineage.

There has been discussion regarding how to obtain the birth certificates. If this is an issue for you or your children please call 218-983-3285 and speak with Trista Ayers. They have information and some questions on this as well being that if a child is born out of state or if there is a closed record it creates other issues and may require you the parent/guardian to be present with legal documentation.

If you have completed a JOM form and your child is not on our certified list you may be asked to submit another JOM certification form which is listed under our FORMS link to the left <------ along with other requested materials. If there are questions you may have the White Earth enrollment department may be able to assist with answering some of the questions as if your child has White Earth blood this is who certifies or requests more information. Our office is a middle man in this process.

Johnson O' Malley (JOM) is a federally-funded program which provides supplemental education programs and activities for Native American students attending public schools.

The Johnson O'Malley Act was passed in 1934 to ensure Native American children receive the educational opportunities that would not otherwise be provided. The JOM Act recognizes that American Indian and Alaska Native children in public schools have special needs due to their unique social, economic, and cultural environment.

Federal JOM funding is supplemental and is not guaranteed each year.

There are two main requirements under the JOM Act to assure parent participation and control: (1) The Indian Education Committee and (2) The Education Plan.

The federal government, under the authority of the JOM Act, provides financial assistance for supplemental educational programs to meet the special needs of eligible Indian students in public schools and for special programs for 3 and 4-year-old children.

NOTE: Indian students from age 3 years through grade 12, except those who are enrolled in Bureau or sectarian operated schools, shall be eligible if they are 1/4 or more degree Indian blood of a U.S. federally recognized Tribe. (JOM certification form can be found in the Form Link section to your left)

The purpose of JOM is to provide supplementary financial assistance to meet the unique and specialized educational needs of Indian Children. These supplementary funds are not to take the place of federal, state and local funds.

Supplemental programs and activities may include academic support, teacher support, and educational support items. Funds may be used for academic remediation, tutoring, preschool programs, summer school classes, cultural enrichment, field trips, transportation, medical examinations, and school supplies. (This all depends on how the local JOM Parent Committee sets their budget and what they approve)

Tribal Contact Information - White Earth Tribal Education Department (218) 983-3285

Education Director - Dana Goodwin -ext 5311 dana.goodwin@whiteearth-nsn.gov

National Website: http://www.njoma.com/