Schools receive boost from stimulus funds

Hartselle School District will benefit from a $10 billion federal stimulus package for education, which was approved by Congress and signed into law last week.
“We’ve been told Hartselle will get about $600,000,” Superintendent Dr. Mike Reed said. “But we haven’t heard from the feds yet.”
The money is earmarked for school salaries and is about the same amount of stimulus funding the school system received in fiscal 2009-10.
“We’re glad to get it,” he said. “It is what’s keeping our aides working.“
Alabama’s Department of Education will receive almost  $150 million from the stimulus legislation and will pass through the entire amount to the state’s 132 school systems.
The additional federal money is expected to play an important role in helping the school board achieve a balanced budget for this year.
The first of two budget hearings is scheduled for Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m. in the central office. A follow-up session will be held at the same location Sept. 13 at 5 p.m.