Federal school funds coming up short

From the BCCT.

The government printing presses are working 24/7 and still not making enough "money" for everyone.

Federal school funds coming up short
The amount of stimulus money local school districts receive will be dropped from the original House version to what was passed in the Senate. Still, districts are glad to get it.
By GARY WECKSELBLATT

When Jack Myers first heard about the stimulus money coming to school districts, the calculator in his brain began working.

“I already had the money spent in my mind,” said Myers, director of business operations for the Bensalem School District.

Had he done so in actuality, his district would be about $1.5 million in the red.

From the time the U.S. House passed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act back in January until the state this month listed who’s getting what, the stimulus money coming to area schools has become less stimulating.

Bensalem has taken the largest monetary hit. Expecting $4.5 million, the district now is estimated to receive $3 million.

Bristol Township and Pennsbury are $1 million losers.

Upper Moreland had its money nearly cut in half, from just under $1.3 million to under $700,000.

Pennridge and Souderton were shorted the least, each losing just more than $50,000 of the approximately $2 million stimulus.

Seventeen area districts expecting $44.3 million of the two-year, $2.2 billion state allotment now are estimated to receive $34.6 million, according to the state department of education. That’s nearly $10 million, or 22 percent, less than anticipated.

“The bottom line is, it sure beats not getting anything,” Myers said. “We’re very happy to have this money.”

But Myers, like other business managers and school board members, said they’re still uncertain how much money they’ll be getting, what they can use it for, when it will get to them and what strings will be attached.

“Until I have a check in my hand, I’m very reserved in my enthusiasm,” said Linda Palsky of the Pennsbury school board. “Until you actually see the criteria and regulations in black and white, you don’t really know how this will all work out.

“Sometimes things look good in the short term … but then in the long term you’re left with unfunded mandates.”

“We’re kind of sitting, waiting for the official word. The problem is we’re not exactly sure how we can use that money yet,” said David Matyas, business manager for Central Bucks.

The state’s $2.6 billion deficit leaves a lot to still be determined, Matyas said. “We won’t know our exact allocation until the state finalizes its budget.”

Funding is split into five categories: Title I, for reading and math programs in districts where the poverty level is at least 5 percent; Title II-D, which integrates technology into the curriculum; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or special education; basic education funding; and state fiscal stabilization grants for school renovations.

The stimulus money helped the state achieve its basic education funding goal, which started a new funding formula a year ago. Pushed by Gov. Ed Rendell, the plan is to spend $2.6 billion over the six years to help ensure adequate funding in all districts.

Without the additional federal dollars, “we couldn’t have achieved our commitment this year or next,” said Leah Harris, assistant press secretary with the state Department of Education.

She said only 47 of the state’s 501 districts don’t receive Title I money. Eleven, however, are local. In addition, those same schools were left out of the stabilization grant money because it was allocated through the same Title I formula.

For districts that qualify, stabilization money replaces stimulus funds for school construction in the original House version. The money was eliminated during negotiations in the Senate to woo Sens. Arlen Specter, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. The three Republicans sought to cut the package, and school construction was wrapped into an overall construction category that the state could divvy up.

But a district like Central Bucks, for example, which would have received $663,500 in construction money from the House bill, is shut out of stabilization grant money, which can be used for modernization or repairs.

Back on Jan. 29, when Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy held a press conference at Harry S Truman High School to announce $5 million in funding for the Bristol Township School District — a number that’s fallen to $4 million — school board President Earl Bruck was pleased to hear of the $1.7 million coming for school construction.

“We have a document from our engineers that says we have $100 million in renovations we need to implement,” he said that day. “This is a start.”

That start has been cut, as his district’s stabilization grant is $642,800. It is, however, the highest of any area district.

Bruck said he still has those renovations to do, but you don’t know what to do until you get official guidelines from the state.

“I’m cautiously optimistic, hoping things turn out the way they said they would. But you don’t know until you get the details.”

“This additional money is to prevent devastating cuts and an increase in property taxes that would be unfair in these tough economic times,” said Adam Abrams, a spokesman for Murphy.

Myers, Bensalem’s business manager, said tax hikes still will happen.

“The school board is still going to have to raise taxes, they’re just not going to have to raise them as much. Whatever money we get will certainly help the taxpayer and help us maintain our programs.”

“The stimulus means we should hire people, but the money’s only coming for two years. What do you do after that? Fire them? As you can see, it’s a conundrum,” Matyas said.