A new report reveals that several states are using economic stimulus money to recover from budget losses.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently stated:
“From the very beginning, we have made it clear that this education stimulus funding is intended to supplement local education dollars, not replace them.”
What does this mean for states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania who have been singled out for not correctly using the stimulus? According to the Associated Press, Duncan is in charge of $5 billion worth of stimulus grant money meant for school districts to adopt Obama-supported plans, including charter schools. And, Duncan alone has the power to distribute the funds to those school districts deemed worthy, and the accused states may be withheld incentive money.
But, who’s to blame for the lack of control over the stimulus? According to the Associated Press article, congress negated to establish hard rules on how to spend the money – a common theme of late.
