News of the Day: Schools Crunch Calculus of Stimulus

In Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, they highlighted how the $100 billion in funding dedicated to education touches programs for almost every age group, from early-childhood programs to financial aid for college students.

Some highlights include:

Early Childhood - The law provides $5 billion for early-childhood programs, including the federally funded Head Start for low-income families.

K-12 - The law calls for distribution of $53.6 billion in "stabilization" funds that will go to states to help avert further education cuts...the Atlanta Public School District, whose general fund is expected to decline to $640 million next school year from the current $661 million, says that the stabilization funds will help save teaching jobs and avert potential cuts to programs, such as professional-development workshops for teachers and student counseling.

Another $12 billion is set aside specifically for programs related to students with disabilities.

Included in the stimulus package is up to $33.6 billion toward school modernization. At the Indianapolis Public Schools, school officials have created a "working document" over the past two weeks to identify structural priorities in their 72 school buildings that could be addressed with stimulus money. "Frankly, it's student safety," says spokeswoman Mary Louise Bewley. "Things like ensuring exterior doors are working well."


Higher Education - The stimulus law increases Pell Grants for low-income students to a maximum of $5,350 from the current $4,731 and provides an additional $200 million boost for the federal work-study program, where the government and colleges provide funds to pay students who work part-time.

Read the rest here
2181 Rayburn House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 | 202-225-3725
Plugins | Privacy Policy | Republican Views