The Bureau of Indian Affairs has agreed to a short delay in the reorganization of the Office of Indian Education Programs, Indian Country Today reports.

The BIA will delay the reorganization in the Great Plains region in response to a lawsuit filed by nearly a dozen tribes and reservation schools. No hirings or firings will take place until briefs can be filed and a hearing can be held in the court case.

But the BIA has already started the interview process for some of the new positions. And the agency has issued reduction in force notices, or RIFs, to eliminate certain positions.

The Great Plains tribes filed the lawsuit to prevent the closure of six on-reservation education offices. The Bush administration plans to replace them with three offices located, in some cases, hundreds of miles away from reservation schools.

Get the Story:
Reorganization of education office delayed (Indian Country Today 6/26)

Senate Indian Affairs Committee Hearing Documents/Info:
Oversight Hearing on Indian Education (May 25, 2006)

Relevant Links:
Office of Indian Education Programs, BIA - http://www.oiep.bia.edu
Office of Indian Education Programs Human Resources Services - http://www.oiephr.bia.edu

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