8th District Congressman Announces More than $27 Million for Bucks County Schools to Save Programs, Improve Facilities and Better Prepare Students for the Future
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) announced more than $27 million in new federal funds for Bucks County schools. The money comes from the recently-passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and will go a long way toward keeping school districts from cutting programs, laying off teachers, increasing class sizes or raising taxes. These funds, announced Wednesday by Rep. Murphy – a former constitutional law professor at West Point – will be used by communities in Bucks County for critical needs such as funding technology upgrades, basic and special education programs and renovation of facilities.
“School districts across Bucks County are feeling the impact of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression – and I am proud to fight for students and teachers during this difficult time,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “I voted for these funds so we can continue to prepare our students for the future and to keep school districts from cutting programs, laying off teachers, dramatically growing class sizes or unfairly raising property taxes.”
“These critical funds will save jobs and gives schools the necessary tools to achieve a higher standard of learning. Students today will be competing for jobs against workers across the globe and with this funding we can help prepare them for that challenge,” Murphy added.
Money through the ARRA can be used for a variety of efforts such as preventing devastating cuts, improving science labs in middle and high schools, improving career and technical education, and for training teachers in Advanced Placement courses to launch new classes. The Recovery Act will spend more than $44 billion on education in the next 30-45 days.
To get updates about the application process details and reporting requirements go online here. If the table of information below does not appear properly, click here.
Numbers are Estimates and Represent Potential Recovery Act Funding for Bucks County School Districts
| School District |
2009 Estimated Title I |
2009 Estimated Title IID (EETT) |
2009 Estimated IDEA |
2009-10 BEF Estimated Increase |
Estimated State Fiscal Stabilization Grants |
| Bensalem Township SD |
$691,600 |
$23,300 |
$1,366,200 |
$394,841 |
$584,400 |
| Bristol Borough SD |
$163,900 |
$5,400 |
$353,700 |
$381,896 |
$138,500 |
| Bristol Township SD |
$760,700 |
$25,600 |
$1,726,300 |
$850,951 |
$642,800 |
| Centennial SD |
$412,000 |
$13,900 |
$1,428,800 |
$283,544 |
$348,200 |
| Central Bucks SD |
$0 |
$0 |
$3,077,200 |
$940,569 |
$0 |
| Council Rock SD |
$0 |
$0 |
$2,604,800 |
$272,500 |
$0 |
| Morrisville Borough SD |
$84,000 |
$2,600 |
$272,000 |
$59,386 |
$71,000 |
| Neshaminy SD |
$0 |
$0 |
$2,306,000 |
$243,765 |
$0 |
| New Hope-Solebury SD |
$0 |
$0 |
$297,500 |
$22,224 |
$0 |
| Palisades SD |
$0 |
$0 |
$441,800 |
$56,184 |
$0 |
| Pennridge SD |
$0 |
$0 |
$1,511,800 |
$579,257 |
$0 |
| Pennsbury SD |
$0 |
$0 |
$2,180,800 |
$292,258 |
$0 |
| Quakertown Community SD |
$230,300 |
$7,700 |
$915,500 |
$176,824 |
$194,600 |
| Estimated Total |
$2,342,500 |
$78,500 |
$18,482,400 |
$4,554,199 |
$1,979,500 |
| BCSD Estimated Recovery Total |
$27,437,099 |
Title I: Title I money is divvied out nationwide for the purpose of improving reading and math instruction in high poverty schools.
Title IID: This money can be used for technology upgrades, specifically to integrate technology into the school curriculum and provide related professional development.
IDEA: This money provides special education programs and services to students with disabilities, and is restricted based on whether eligible students with disabilities are being served by the expenditure.
State Fiscal Stabilization Grants: This money can be used for modernization, renovation and repair of facilities. School districts are also highly encouraged to invest in “green” products and materials for purposes of energy efficiency, basic education, special education, career and tech education and adult and family literacy.
BEF: This money can be used to pay for ongoing costs of existing programs (up to the rate of inflation), and the rest must be used for early childhood education, longer school days and school years, and to expand other proven academic programs for students.
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For Immediate Release, March 11, 2009
Contact: Adam Abrams, (202) 225-4276
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