Every Thursday, REL-NEI highlights state-based resources, press releases, and news around the Northeast and Islands Region related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). For a listing of REL Issues & Answers Reports categorized under ARRA topics and domains, click here.
States Announce Funding Opportunities and Awards
Last week, Connecticut posted its application package for Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs). These applications are due June 16th. Download the application package. Connecticut also posted its RFP for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth grants.Also available on the Department of Education Recovery website is Commissioner McQuillan’s PowerPoint presentation on “strategic planning and community consensus,” from May 26th.
On May 27th, the application for Part 1 of Massachusetts’ State Stabilization Funds was approved. This means that more than $666 million in recovery funds are now available for Massachusetts to “save teaching jobs and drive education reform.” To date, Massachusetts has received $236 million in education stimulus funds, representing a combination of funding for Title I, IDEA, Vocational Rehabilitation Grants, and Independent Living Grants.
In Maine, the Department of Health and Human Services received approval to spend its Child Care and Development Block Grant funds, and the Governor received a letter from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius concerning the eligibility for ARRA funds to establish an advisory council on early childhood education and care. Read Maine’s ARRA update.
On May 26th, the New Hampshire DOE announced its Quality School Construction Bond awards: Somersworth ($19,930,790), Winnisquam ($3,550,000), Concord ($3,680,000), and Pembroke ($2,623,210) were each awarded with school construction bonds.
Rhode Island’s application for Part 1 of the State Stabilization Funds was approved on May 20th. This means that $111 million in recovery funds are now available for Rhode Island to “save teaching jobs and drive education reform.” To date, Rhode Island has received $43 million in education stimulus funds, representing a combination of funding for Title I, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Vocational Rehabilitation Grants, and Independent Living Grants.
On May 26th, Vermont posted information on McKinney-Vento ARRA Funding and Qualified School Construction Bonds. This McKinney-Vento Funding is intended to assist LEAs with excess transportation expenses to schools of origin, as well as school supplies and other allowable expenses that eliminate barriers for homeless students to enroll, attend, and succeed in school. The Qualified School Construction Bonds are interest-free financing opportunities for major school renovation and modernization projects that were authorized for 2009 and 2010 under ARRA. Read more about both of these funding opportunities:
On May 21st, Puerto Rico Secretary of Education Carlos Chardón announced his plan to balance his agency’s budget with nonrecurring federal funds from ARRA. He also issued a ruling to increase class size to 40 in the next school year.
For more information, visit these Recovery.gov websites across the Northeast and Islands Region:
Connecticut
http://www.recovery.ct.gov/recovery/site/default.asp
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2703&Q=322296
Maine
http://www.maine.gov/recovery/
http://www.maine.gov/education/recovery/index.html
Massachusetts
www.mass.gov/recovery
http://www.doe.mass.edu/arra/
New Hampshire
http://www.nh.gov/recovery/
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/recovery/index.htm
New York
http://uspeny.nysed.gov/arra/
Rhode Island
http://www.recovery.ri.gov/
http://www.ride.ri.gov/Finance/Funding/ARRA/
Vermont
http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/dept/recovery_act.html
Puerto Rico
http://www.buengobiernopr.com/arra/index.html
U.S. Virgin Islands
http://www.governordejongh.com/recovery/index.html
US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html
Knowledge Alliance
http://www.knowledgeall.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid=34
Council of State Governments: StateRecovery.org
http://www.staterecovery.org/education
