$90 Million in Federal Stimulus Funds to Boost Tri-County Area Schools
Senate Fiscal Agency Lists Estimated K-12 District Grants
March 19, 2009
By: Dave Rogers
An estimated $90 million is projected to flow from Washington to 39 area school districts in Michigan.
Public schools in the Tri-County area will get an early Christmas present.
An estimated $90 million is projected to flow from Washington to 39 area school districts and charter schools, according to the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency (SFA).
The stimulus money for local schools is part of a $2,030,945,273 billion package slated for Michigan school districts and charter schools.
Title 1 funding (improving academic achievement of the disadvantaged) amounts for each school and district were used as the basis for the allocation of stimulus dollars, according to the SFA.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has said that money from the federal stimulus plan will offset state cuts in aid to public schools and universities.
Stimulus legislation does not allow states to cut aid to schools under 2008 amounts. Earlier this year Granholm proposed reducing state aid to public schools by $59 per pupil, and trimming aid to universities 3 percent.
Granholm said the federal money will allow schools to be reimbursed to offset the $59 per student cut, calling the windfall "good news for schools."
She said that she would insist that universities keep in place the freeze of tuition rates.
Granholm warned stimulus money would last only a year, and school districts need to plan to reduce spending in 2011. "This is an opportunity this year to do everything they can to tighten their belts in preparation for next year," she has told the news media.
The following districts and estimated stimulus amounts follows:
Arenac County estimated total, $2.3 million: Arenac Eastern, 467,321; AuGres-Sims, $454,429; Standish-Sterling, $1,459,974;
Bay County estimated total, $16 million: Bay-Arenac ISD, $4,264,062; Bay City, $8,929,629; Bangor Township, $1,185,492; Essexville-Hampton, $562,396; Pinconning, $1,098,274; Bay-Arenac Community High, $111,190; Bay County PSA, $447,984;
Midland County estimated total, $6.5 million: Midland County ESA, $3,468,081; Midland, $3,279,661; Bullock Creek, $887,909; Coleman, $652,638; Meridian, $1,021,660; Windover High, $169,203; Academic and Career Education Academy, $99,910;
Saginaw County estimated total, $65 million: Saginaw ISD, $2,021,073; Saginaw, $30,997,703; Carrollton, $1,637,327; Saginaw Township, $3,116,579; Buena Vista, $3,777,069; Chesaning, $1,816,909; Birch Run, $1,399,924; Bridgeport-Spaulding, $2,937,579; Frankenmuth, $557,450; Freeland, $657,943; Hemlock, $840,114; Merrill, $736,576; St. Charles, $781,572; Swan Valley, $791,957; Saginaw County Transition Academy, $370,634; Saginaw Preparatory Academy, $879,596; Francis Reh PSA, $913,633; North Saginaw Charter Academy, $1,055,702; Saginaw Learn to Earn Academy, $232,182; Instructional Academy of Saginaw, $132,139.