By the numbers
Allotments for Warren County schools through the federal Education Jobs Fund
• Carlisle Local, $409,906
• Franklin City, $446,536
• Greater Ohio Virtual School, $90,751
• Kings Local, $354,208
• Lebanon City, $849,195
• Little Miami Local, $463,787
• Mason City, $1,531,086
• Springboro City, $567,144
• Wayne Local, $238,248
Source: Ohio Department of Education
WARREN COUNTY — Ohio schools will be getting millions of dollars from a federal program to save jobs, but the money may only partly make up for expected losses in state funding and one-time federal stimulus grants.
The Education Jobs Fund was included in federal legislation that passed in August, providing $10 billion to states for saving or creating jobs over the next two years, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
States had to apply for the funds and Ohio recently learned that its application was approved to receive $361 million for public and charter schools, said ODE spokesman Scott Blake.
The funds could be made available to schools as early as October, Blake said.
How much schools will receive is based on the state’s primary funding formula, and the allotted amounts could change, school officials said.
Middletown City Schools is expected to receive a little more than $1.2 million through the program, according to the Ohio Department of Education.
“Since this is just for the 2010-11 school year, it will help us out this year but won’t help maintain any programs in the future,” said Debbie Alberico, Middletown schools spokeswoman.
In Warren County, Mason City Schools will get the lion’s share, more than $1.5 million of $4.95 million, among the eight public school districts.
School treasurers met with state officials in Columbus on Wednesday, Sept. 15, and got more details about how the money can be used.
Mason schools Treasurer Richard Gardner said the money is a one-time payment that will be used in his district to replace anticipated losses in state funding.
“This does not represent additional dollars, but a change in where our dollars are coming from,” Gardner said. “We will still be left with less total dollars from the state in the second year of the biennium.”
The money cannot be used for central office positions, but rather for bus drivers, teachers, building principals and others who are directly involved with educating children, said Little Miami Treasurer Shaun Bevan.
Bevan echoed Gardner’s comments, that the money will be used to offset expected revenue losses in the Little Miami district, which includes $1.3 million of state and federal stimulus funding that dries up next year.
After several levy defeats, Little Miami has been forced to lay off teachers, bus drivers, support staff and other employees in the last two years, said Superintendent Dan Bennett.
“With our situation so critical, it’s really important for us to have input in how to spend those dollars,” he said. “We’re trying to be as creative as possible to stay afloat.”
There’s about a $94,000 deficit between what Waynesville schools will receive through the program and the expected losses in revenue that will impact the district in 2012, said Wayne Local Treasurer Ron James.
Despite increasing enrollment the last eight years, the district has lost more than $400,000 in annual state funding, James said.
“We believe the funds are a continued supplant of general fund dollars and we will use those funds to maintain employment of current jobs with no added jobs or functions.
Staff Writer Andrew Sedlak contributed to this report.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or rwilson@coxohio.com.
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