February 13, 2009

Federal Stimulus Bill Heading to Final Votes

The direct appropriation provisions include:

$53.6 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, including $39.5 billion to local school districts using existing funding formulas, which can be used for preventing cutbacks, preventing layoffs, school modernization, or other purposes; $5 billion to states as bonus grants for meeting key performance measures in education; and $8.8 billion to states for high priority needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education and for modernization, renovation and repairs of public school facilities and institutions of higher education facilities.

$13 billion for Title 1 to help close the achievement gap and enable disadvantaged students to reach their potential.

$12.2 billion for Special Education/IDEA to improve educational outcomes for disabled children. This level of funding will increase the Federal share of special education services to its highest level ever.

The tax section of the legislation includes $24.8 billion for Qualified School Construction Bonds and for the expansion of the Qualified Zone Academy Bond ($1.4 billion in each of 2009-10 and 2010-11) program. The new Qualified School Construction Bonds ($11 billion in each of 2009-10 and 2010-11) will be for school construction, renovation, repair and site acquisition.

The House has passed HR 1 as amended in Conference Committee.  We expect the Senate to act either later tonight or tomorrow. 

http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/CALIFORNIA-20090213-HR1-LEAs.pdf

~Dave Walrath

dwalrath@m-w-h.com