The U.S. government just released $1.8 billion in stimulus money for education to Florida, two weeks after the state applied for a waiver required because the state underfunded education in previous years.
"The $1.8 billion Florida will receive today is part of the single largest boost in education funding in recent history," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement. 'Florida can now utilize these funds to save jobs and lay the groundwork for a generation for education reform."
Although the money is expected to plug holes in school-district budgets to save jobs, South Florida's school districts might still see layoffs. Some observers fell, however, that contrary to all the rhetoric about `how it's to save all these layoffs, the reality is it's only going to help the state have fewer layoffs.
School districts won't be getting the funds directly from Washington. Florida law makers, confident the state would get the money, allocated funds to shore up the education portion of the 2009-10 budget the Legislature approved last week. That means that legislators could tout a small increase in per-student spending in Florida. But they reshuffled and reduced other parts of the education budget to do so, leaving school districts with less money than they had last year.
In addition to the $1.8 billion in so-called state stabilization funds, Florida has received almost $600 million in education stimulus dollars -- including about half the money the federal government designated for low-income schools, programs for disadvantaged students and other grants. Another $891 million in stabilization money will also become available this fall.
To receive the funds, the state had to assure the federal government that it would closely track education statistics, including annual student improvements, the effectiveness of state standards and assessments, and interventions in turning around under performing schools.
Florida will also have to report how many jobs will be saved using the stimulus money, how the funds are used and what state and local tax increases are avoided because of the federal dollars.
3 comments:
I guess for every funding given, there really should be an expected increase in statistics and improvements in students.
The point is these funds are given to increase the quality of the educational sector; and this is to be expected with a big amount of budget allotted.
those money will be beneficial to them..they better use it wisely..
I think the stimulus money will be a great boom to our state. Can't come soon enough for me although I know there are people who'd like to see us refuse it.
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