A Federal Lifeline for Hard-Pressed School Districts
Veterans Memorial Middle School counselor Ken Andjulis (left) talks with Myskeshia Mitchell, a counselor at Nathan Hale Middle School in Crestwood, and Nick Boyle, a counselor at Kerr Middle School in Blue Island, during an assembly at Veterans Memorial Middle School in Blue Island on the last day of school before their holiday break Tuesday December 21, 2010. School District 130 in Blue Island used its federal stimulus money to hire three counselors.
John Konstantaras/Chicago News Cooperative
When Farmington Central School District 265 learned it was eligible for an infusion of $417,000 in federal aid to save jobs this school year, the district had the option to spend it on anything from new hires to raises for teachers, or even to meet benefits liabilities.
Since the money came after the school year started — too late to hire new teachers — the district went in another direction. Farmington officials decided to leave the money untouched. Unsure about whether the state will come through with what it owes the district, school officials decided to wait and watch the budget process take shape in Springfield over the next few weeks.
If the state falls even further behind on payments to schools, the federal money from the Education Jobs Fund will be used as a small safety net, said Mark Doan, Farmington schools superintendent. “If the state comes and says we don’t have the funds, at that point, I’d turn around and say we’ll use those Education Jobs funds,” Mr. Doan said.
After the Education Jobs Fund was announced in August, the federal government and Gov. Pat Quinn encouraged districts to quickly spend their portion of the $415 million. But,
