MADISON — Governor Jim
Doyle and State Superintendent Tony Evers announced today that Wisconsin schools
now have access to all of the funding provided through two elements of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds support educational
services and parent outreach in schools with high poverty rates, special
education, and early interventions to keep students on track in academics and
behavior.
"The education we
provide now will be a foundation of our state for decades to come," Governor
Doyle said. "Schools across the state and the nation have had to stretch very
tight budgets and this immediate investment will benefit students and teachers
in classrooms this fall."
"There is no shortage of
need for these services," Superintendent Evers said. "The funds will support
student achievement, through early interventions, trainings for parents and
teachers, and many other strategies. This is money that will make a difference."
Earlier this year,
Governor Doyle and the Department of Public Instruction announced $366 million
in ARRA funds for Wisconsin school districts, flowing through two existing
federal programs: the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and
Title I, Part A, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The state was
given immediate access to half of that funding, or $183 million. The remaining
$183 million was slated for release by the U.S. Department of Education on
September 30, but has been made available early to maximize the impact of ARRA.
Wisconsin’s total ARRA
allocation through IDEA, Part B, is $218 million. Title I allotments in the
state total $148 million. School districts have until Sept. 30, 2011, to spend
the funds.
The ARRA also provides
competitive grants for teacher incentive funding, teacher quality enhancement,
state-wide longitudinal data system development, school lunch equipment
purchases, innovative approaches to education, and enhancing education through
technology grants.
Local funding
allocations for IDEA, Part B, and Title I, Part A, are viewable at:
http://dpi.wi.gov/recovery/xls/titleone-idea.xls
More information about the impact
of the ARRA on Wisconsin schools and libraries can be found at: http://dpi.wi.gov/recovery
