Washington, D.C. – Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) today announced that 12 school districts in Marin and Sonoma Counties are receiving $363,174 to help them better prepare their students for the 21st century. As the Top Democrat on the U.S. House subcommittee that handles all elementary and secondary elementary issues, Rep. Woolsey knows how necessary these funds are to students in California’s 6th District and throughout the country.

“Children are only 25% of our population, but 100% of our future and their education must be our number one priority,” said Rep. Woolsey.

“I am pleased to announce that local schools will receive these much needed funds, and I will continue to fight for programs that benefit children and working families,” said Rep. Woolsey. The grants come from the Small Rural Schools Achievement program (SRSA) which provides funding and flexibility to allow local school districts to carry out a variety of activities including supporting economically disadvantaged students, training and recruiting high quality teachers, improving education technology, expanding after-school programs, and increasing school safety.

“Small, rural school districts have unique needs and the funds from the Small Rural Schools Achievement Program allows us the flexibility that we need in order to make our education programs successful,” said Larry Enos, Superintendent and Principal of Bolinas-Stinson Union Elementary School District.

Sonoma and Marin County schools and school districts set to receive funding for fiscal year 2003 include: Bolinas-Stinson Union Elementary School District at $22,934; Cinnabar Elementary School District at $35,182; Dunham School at $27,304; Fort Ross Elementary School District at $17,604; Gravenstein Union School District at $53,048; Guerneville School District at $38,016; Harmony Union School District at $47,325; Horicon Elementary School District at $17,594; Liberty School at $29,173; Montgomery Elementary School at $18,898; Two Rock Union School District at $27,518; and Wilmar Union School District at $28,578.

School districts eligible to receive SRSA grants must either have an average daily attendance in all schools of less than 600 students, serve only schools located in counties with a population density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile, or be in an area of the state defined as rural by a state governmental agency.