The numbers are in for the stimulus package, and only two words can describe the reported figures: under whelming.
“Birmingham City School District is to receive $3,487 in Title II Part D (Education Technology formula funds),” said Megan Brown, Deputy Press Secretary in the Office of Jennifer Granholm. “In addition, IDEA funds are allocated to the Intermediate School Districts which will, in turn, allocate them to individual school districts.”
Brown said there is more to come.
“Birmingham will receive IDEA funds from the Oakland Intermediate School District and, later this summer they will get money from the State Stabilization Fund,” said Brown. “Neither of these allocations are yet determined.”
A press release from the Michigan Government, described how one of the many ways that the 38.1 billion dollars granted to the state will be used.
“$931 million [will be used] for education, including Title I funding to support education for at-risk students and IDEA funding for special education services,” said the report.
However, Brown confirmed that Birmingham Public Schools will not be receiving Title I or Title II funds.
“Title I funds are to improve education for at-risk students and Title II funds are used to provide programs that serve youth in local correctional facilities or in community day programs for delinquent youth,” Brown said. “Birmingham schools are not getting money from either of these funding pots.”
Monday, The Detroit News reported the money that the schools will be receiving has already been distributed.
However Birmingham Public Schools Director of Community Relations, Marcia F. Wilkinson said that these funds have not yet been received.
“Not to my knowledge, it was going to the state level from what I understood,” Wilkinson said, “but locally we would not have received that yet.”
Wilkinson also said that as of now, a projected date has not been set for when the district can expect to receive the money.
