Oklahoma School Districts Receive Notice of Federal Jobs Funds (OK)

September 15, 2010

Oklahoma  school districts will share $116 million allotted from the federal Education Jobs Act enacted in August, the state Education Department announced Tuesday.

Another $3 million will be used by the state agency for administration and accounting costs.

Oklahoma City Public Schools will receive more than $7.1 million.

"Oklahoma City Public Schools will use the allocation to build the district fund balance to help offset expected losses in federal funds for the 2011-2012 school year,” spokeswoman Tierney Cook said in an e-mail.

Districts can use the money to pay teacher and support staff salaries and benefits.

Money cannot be spent on equipment, technology or other materials.

Federal law allows school districts the flexibility of spending all, some or none of the funds this fiscal year. All funds must be spent by school districts by Sept. 30, 2012, according to the Education Department.

Moore Public Schools will receive more than $3.7 million.

Superintendent Susan Pierce said the money will mean a lot to the district, but administrators aren’t sure yet how it will be spent.

"One need is the revenue shortfall and the result it’s had on our district reserve amount,” Pierce said. "It took quite a hit this year, and it’s scheduled to take another hit next year.

Limits on spending

While school districts can’t use the federal funds to shore up reserve accounts, they can spend it on existing teacher salaries and save local funds, said David Fraser, Edmond Public Schools’ chief financial officer.

Edmond schools will receive more than $3.5 million.

Fraser said the money most likely will be used for additional staffing to accommodate the district’s growth of more than 600 students this year. That means both teachers and support positions such as bus drivers.

"Right now, we have about $2 million in salaries being carried by federal stimulus money we received last year,” he said.

That funding will disappear in 2012.

School board members also will discuss funding full-day kindergarten throughout the district in the future, Fraser said.

"This doesn’t solve the financial problems, but it buys us time for the economy to recover, and we’re very grateful to have it,” he said.

Putnam City’s allocation is more than $3.3 million.

"We will use it to pay salaries to some of the new teachers that we have and also look at areas where class sizes are larger than we want them to be,” spokesman Steve Lindley said.

The district this year has 190 new hires, about 18 below the number of staff hired at the beginning of last year, Lindley said. The district last year offered a voluntary separation package to 83 certified employees.

Administrato rs will look first at class sizes in early elementary and then at upper elementary grades, he said. The district may consider hiring new teachers where appropriate.

"Whatever we do has to be sustainable,” Lindley said.