Stimulus surge in store for Sacramento region
Published: Monday, Jun. 21, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
Less than half of the $1.1 billion in stimulus money destined for the Sacramento area has been spent – meaning the federal government will play a significant role in propping up the local economy for years to come.
Money has been rolling slowly into the region for the past 16 months, part of an estimated $85
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School cuts postponed
The first stimulus dollars spent were awarded for "fiscal stabilization" – plugging state and local government deficits. The lion's share of that money went to school districts.Local districts regionwide would have had fewer teachers, more-crowded classrooms and fewer academic offerings this past year without the $158 million they received in stimulus funding.
Elk Grove Unified got the most, about $21 million
"We've faced $100 million in budget reductions over a three-year period, and we're trying to keep people in place as long as possible," said Elk Grove Unified spokeswoman Elizabeth Graswich.
Sacramento City Unified used $19.2 million in stimulus dollars over the past year to shore up its budget. San Juan Unified received and spent $17.3 million.
With that stimulus money now gone, most districts are making cuts, particularly to teacher pay and benefits.
"In the absence of the stimulus, they've had to turn to concessions from the unions," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon.
O'Keefe said the federal money simply delayed by a year the school cuts playing out now. Michael agreed, but said that isn't a bad thing: While it lasted, the stimulus money helped a lot of kids and paid school workers, letting them continue to spend.
The rest of the stimulus money spent so far – about $170 million – has gone to a hodgepodge of
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/21/2836494/stimulus-surge-in-store-for-sacramento.html#ixzz0rUKsWqoH
