Will California Schools Benefit From Obama's Stimulus Plan?
California schools are in need of a federal bail out to backfill money cut by the state. What, if anything, does the federal stimulus package have to offer schools?
School districts in Southern California scramble to review, balance and amend their budgets in light of the state budget crisis. This balancing act has many school districts asking questions about infusions of federal money. Because the state cuts dramatically impact school district budgets, which has about an 84 percent budget for salaries, many teachers were served with pink slips this month.
Should teachers and school districts hold out hope of recovery from Obama's stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009))? What about the schools that do not qualified for Title I money? Will there be any money for the average school in California?
The answer is, surprisingly, yes. There is some hope. Weave in and out of the intricate provisions of the federal and state departments that fund the stimulus package, and there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. In reviewing the stimulus package, as it relates to California education, many schools will benefit from the federal aid. However, the biggest benefactors of that money will be impoverished schools.
