Rep. Eshoo Announces $15 Million in Education Funding for 14th Congressional District
"School districts in the 14th Congressional District have been hit hard by the current economic crisis. This funding is targeted to the schools that need it most. It will keep teachers in the classroom and help maintain quality instruction for students, and it represents the largest one-time investment in K-12 education in American history," said Rep. Eshoo. "This is about more than dollars and cents. It's about providing a quality education to every student."
In addition to the money released today, the economic recovery plan created a state stabilization fund to help stabilize state and local budgets and restore harmful cuts to education. The Obama Administration also issued guidelines today that confirm that while states allocate the funds, it is up to local school districts, colleges and universities to decide how to use the emergency aid.
The guidelines also reaffirm that state stabilization funds should be used for three purposes:
- To reduce harmful cuts to K-12 and higher education;
- To stave off teacher layoffs; and
- To modernize school facilities.
"I recently wrote to Governor Schwarzenegger to restate that these funds are meant to help our school districts directly … not to decrease the state's deficit. I'm pleased that the Obama Administration has clarified this and that school districts will be receiving the full amount of funding they are authorized to receive under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," said Eshoo.
According to numbers from the Department of Education and the Congressional Research Service, the 14th Congressional District will receive $2,950,407 for Title I Funding, which helps low income students. The District will also receive $12,015,000 in Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) funding to maintain services for students with disabilities. The remainder of the ARRA education funding will be disbursed to states and school districts later this fall.
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