Stimulus dollars flow to local schools

By Shauntel Lowe/Times-Herald staff writer


Local school districts will receive more than $3.3 million for low-income students and almost $15.8 million for special education through the federal stimulus package, state education
officials have announced.

"We continue to be excited about the stimulus money coming in," Vallejo City Unified School District spokesman Jason Hodge said. "It's direly needed to help with critical programs here in the district."

Though school officials on Tuesday expressed happiness about the funding announced the previous day, the allotments are in some cases much less than earlier projections by education officials. Vallejo schools, for instance, will be receiving more than $700,000 less than earlier forecasts.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Barack Obama in February, provides billions of dollars for schools nationwide to help uphold districts sagging under the weight of the failing economy.

"Local educational agencies need to know exactly how much federal recovery funding they will receive so they can reconcile their budgets, start paying for programs, and get on with the business of helping our students succeed academically," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said in a statement Monday.

The state Department of Finance has been authorized to disburse the funds, and school districts should receive the first payments soon, education officials said.
Benicia Unified School District

Superintendent Janice Adams said district schools expects to receive their first payment of $56,000 for Title I by the end of May. Title I funds are given to districts based on their number of low-income students.
"Our first priority is to retain our reading specialists at the elementary schools and middle school who have received lay off notices because of our budget reductions for next year," Adams said in an e-mail.

The Title I stimulus money represents a 65 percent increase over regular funding for local low-income students next school year.

For the Vallejo school district, the $3.3 million in special education funding marks a steep drop from early projections that the district would receive $4.1 million.

"It's unfortunate that the number has dropped for whatever reason because we need every nickel and dime we can get," Hodge said.
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http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_12305837

Contact staff writer Shauntel Lowe at (707) 553-6835 or slowe@thnewsnet.com.
Stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funding

* Vallejo City Unified School District:
Title I: $2,071,050
Special Education: $3,368,758
* Solano County Office of Education:
Title I: $56,381
Special Education: $8,705,735
* Benicia Unified School District: $124,617
Special Education: Through the Solano County Office of Education
* Napa County Office of Education
Title I:
Special Education: $3,722,297
* Napa Valley Unified School District:
Title I: $1,119,351
Special Education: Through the Napa County Office of Education
Source: California Department of Education.

Updated: May 06, 2009 7:49:06 AM PDT


Stimulus dollars flow to local schools