The Springfield School District has started receiving nearly $15 million in federal economic stimulus funds. But most of the highly regulated money won’t help the district with its $8 million budget deficit or avert the need to eliminate 56 teaching positions and other proposed cuts next year.
Roughly $6 million, 40 percent of the $14.7 million in federal money, covers state government’s unmet or reduced obligations to Springfield schools this year.
“It is not extra money. It’s how the state is using the money they receive from the feds to pay their bills,” wrote Springfield schools business director Agnes Nunn in an e-mail.
Most of the rest — roughly $8.4 million — comes with strict requirements that it be spent on special education and federal Title I programs. Those are separate from the district’s general education fund, where most of the deficit spending is coming from.
Regardless, the federal money – officially, the funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — is keeping current programs running.
“It was money that allowed us to continue to fund our entire Title I program with no cuts to services and with no cuts to programs,” said Larry McVey, Title I director for the Springfield School District.
Tracking stimulus money
The district has received about half of its ARRA funds, according to the Illinois State Board of Education’s Web site. That includes the $6 million that made up for state payments.
Most of the stimulus money must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2011.
It’s hard to follow ARRA money on a state board Web site that tracks education spending. Forms require districts to categorize their ARRA expenditures under any of 27 different fairly vague line items, each with eight subcategories.
For example, Springfield received $44,417 in an ARRA “Equipment Assistance Grant” that the state board labeled a “Capital Outlay” subcategory under ”Food Services.”
It took a call to the district’s business office to learn the funds were used to buy cafeteria equipment, including a walk-in cooler, a refrigerated deli bar, convection ovens and steamers.
More specific reports are supposed to be issued quarterly, said Leonora Beck, who is replacing Nunn as business director.
“Quarterly expenditure reports are required and expenditures must be documented by fund, function, object and the ARRA revenue,” Beck wrote in an e-mail.
Where Title I stimulus money goes
Before dipping into any of his $4.1 million allotment, McVey said he was required by Title I and ARRA rules to spend about $410,000, or 10 percent, on professional development.
“Our focus (with those funds) is on improving classroom instruction,” he said.
McVey was allowed to use more than $200,000, or 5 percent, on administrative expenses. He chose to set aside $100,000 for administration instead and doesn’t think he’s going to need much of it. (Unused funds can be rolled over a year.)
Another $41,000 supported family involvement throughout the district — such as supplies, handouts, food and books for families attending school functions. Private schools will receive $195,000 under existing Title I law, which requires the district to provide funds to private schools that enroll students who would otherwise attend a Title I public school.
McVey also set aside about $70,000 to support homeless students.
Most of the district’s Title I ARRA funds, roughly $3 million, will go directly to Title I schools (mostly its elementary schools), which must follow the same Title I guidelines as McVey did.
McVey said keeping track of ARRA spending is complicated and has forced him to run Title I programs on two separate budgets.
He also bristles when people refer to ARRA money as an economic stimulus tool.
Last January, before details of ARRA education funds were released by the Obama administration, McVey said Title I directors of school districts were told to prepare for 10 percent budget cuts. The ARRA funds essentially restored those cuts, he said.
McVey and special education director Leu Baker are both trying to carry their funds over into 2011, when the one-time grants will expire.
But McVey wondered whether that just puts off the inevitable.
“Do we go back to taking 10 percent off?” he asked.
Pete Sherman can be reached at 788-1539.
Federal economic stimulus funds
*General state aid recovery for the 2009-10 fiscal year: $6,048,457
*Equipment assistance grant: $44,417 for cafeteria equipment
*Title I (for low-income and at-risk students): $4,102,033 for 2009-10 and 2011-12 fiscal years. Roughly $3 million given to Title I schools. The rest is to be spent on professional development, homeless students, family involvement, private schools and administration.
*Special education: $4,331,176, of which $1,939,300 will be spent this school year and $2,391,876 next year.
Special education/pre-school: $158,000 for 2009-10
Total: $14,684,083
Read the original article from The State Journal-Register.