The massive federal economic stimulus package hammered out by Congress this week contains about $106 billion earmarked for education, an unprecedented expansion of federal spending into the nation's schools. District officials throughout California, bracing for another round of painful state budget cuts, were grateful for a new infusion of funds.
The money would pay for, among other things, special education, school repair and retaining teachers who might otherwise be laid off.
"It's one of the most exciting things we've heard about in a long time," said Chris Eftychiou, spokesman for the nearly 90,000-student Long Beach Unified School District, which stands to gain tens of millions of dollars over the next two years.
"Usually, it's just cuts, not additional revenue."
But officials noted that with the state budget facing a nearly $42-billion gap next year, cuts still would be necessary.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest, faces a nearly $677-million shortfall next year and expects more cuts the following year. But the district is in line to receive nearly $1 billion in federal aid over that time.
"I hope the federal government is going to come through, but . . . it's not large enough to fill the deficits we're going to have," said Megan K. Reilly, L.A. Unified's chief financial officer.
The House and the Senate passed competing versions of a massive federal plan to shore up the nation's economy in recent days, and as they tried to reach a compromise, education spending was one of the main sticking points. Congressional leaders reached a $789-billion agreement Wednesday that is expected to be voted on and sent to the president's desk in the next few days. Details were still emerging Thursday, and many local districts have yet to figure out exactly how much they stand to gain.
The compromise provides tens of billions less for education than an earlier House of Representatives plan, but more than the Senate version.
The compromise includes $53.6 billion for a nationwide state stabilization fund, which includes $39.5 billion earmarked for local school districts that could be used to prevent teacher layoffs. Some of that money could be used to modernize buildings, but not to build new ones.
Additionally, more than $12 billion is included for special education, and $13 billion for the schools that serve the nation's neediest children. Money is also set aside for state student-data systems, teacher-quality grants, education technology, Head Start preschools and other programs.
