Rep. Slaughter Announces Recovery Funding for Local Schools

Recovery Act Funds Will Help Students, Teachers, and Families

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28) announced today that emergency education funding has been released to help save education-related jobs and maintain programs for low-income students and students with disabilities.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the economic recovery act, provides $13 billi on under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title I) for low-income students and school districts, and $13.5 billion under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for students with disabilities.  Today school districts across the country and in Western New York will receive the first installment of recovery act funding for Title I and IDEA programs.

"As we weather this economic storm we are investing in our schools and communities not only to stave off harmful budget cuts and layoffs but to make a serious commitment to our children's future," said Congresswoman Slaughter.  "Each dollar will go towards improving our schools and supporting our students and in doing so, will create and save jobs, boost our economy in the short term and strengthen it for the long term."

To view Department of Education estimates of the Title I funding for New York's school districts click here.  To view estimates of IDEA funding school district allocations as calculated by the Congressional Research Service click here. 

The school districts will receive half the funds today and the second installment will be released in the fall of this year.  The funds appropriated through the recovery act are distributed through the previously defined IDEA and Title I formulas.

The economic recovery act also created a State Stabilization Fund to help support state and local budgets and restore harmful cuts to education.  To view Department of Education data on the State Stabilization Fund click here.

Today, the Obama Administration issued guidelines on how stabilization funds must be used.  The guidelines confirm that while states allocate the funds, it should be up to local school districts, colleges and universities to decide how to use this emergency aid. 

The guidelines also reaffirm that state stabilization funds should be used for three purposes: to backfill harmful cuts to k12 and higher education, to stave off teacher layoffs, and to modernize school facilities - which could create new jobs.

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