Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Secondary and Elementary Education, announced that Bay County schools would receive $9.851 million under the unprecedented economic recovery legislation passed today in the House of Representatives. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create jobs, provide relief for schools and other programs facing severe budget shortfalls, and will strengthen Bay County families.

Under the plan, schools in Bay County would see a $6.2 million increase in Title 1 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds over two years, which help low-income students and those with disabilities. Schools would also receive $3.7 million in funding to help repair, renovate and modernize their facilities– providing students and teachers with technologically updated, energy-efficient, 21^st century classrooms and creating good construction jobs for local workers.

Economists from across the political spectrum have recently told lawmakers that strategic investments in education will help America become stronger and more productive. By also creating an economic stabilization fund to help states restore cuts in education, this package will help local and state school officials keep teachers in Michigan classrooms. 

“When Michigan’s economy suffers, the school districts and municipalities share the pain as their revenues drop,” said Kildee. “But in these harshest of times, the importance of our children’s education and the need to provide them with a safe, healthy and technologically advanced learning facility is even greater.”

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, school districts in Bay County would receive funding increases in the following amounts for Title 1, school construction and IDEA in Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010:

Fiscal Year 2009 Funds

Fiscal Year 2010 Funds

Other Key Education Provisions:

Kildee also highlighted other key provisions of the plan, including additional aid to help students and families pay for college, and vital job training and support programs to help Americans get back to work and prepare them for the jobs of the future. 

To view fact sheets of the bill’s education provisions, please follow the links below:

CREATING AND SAVING JOBS: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/ARRA-CreatingAndSavingJobs.pdf

INVESTING IN 21^ST CENTURY EDUCATION: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/ARRA-InvestingIn21stCenturyEducation.pdf

INVESTING IN TEACHERS: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/ARRA-InvestingInExcellentTeachers.pdf

MAKING COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/ARRA-MakingCollegeMoreAffordable.pdf; and

MODERNIZING SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/ARRA-ModernizingOurSchoolsandColleges.pdf .

The figures above represent the bill as passed by the House of Representatives. The Senate has not yet considered the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.