KJCT8.com - Grand Junction, Montrose - Weather, News, Sports | Mesa County schools to get $7 Million
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The President's recently passed Stimulus Package is starting to pay out. Colorado Senator, and former Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Michael Bennett announced today that Colorado Schools will get up to $900 million of the 44 billion dollars pledged to schools in the U.S..
According to School District 51 they will receive approximately $7 million over the next two years. And since the district needs to cut $5 million from next school year's budget you would assume this would be good news. And district 51 assures that it is, but these dollars come with a lot of strings attached, says Jeff Kirtland with District 51.
"Well these dollars are helpful we know that there are some restrictions that are in place. But they're good restrictions in the standpoint that they go towards special education students as well as our title 1 schools; schools that have higher levels of poverty and free and reduced lunch."
Schools that are not Title 1 will not see much, if any of this money, according to the school district. Kirtland says this money will not help their budgetary issues since these are federal dollars and the $5-million they need to cut are state dollars. The district does not plan on having to lay off staff in order to level out the budget. Most of the cuts will come from the general fund, which covers nearly everything besides bonds, beverage funds, and food service.
