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The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced it will accelerate stimulus funding authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), by making $11.37 billion in Title 1, IDEA, and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) available to states one month earlier starting September 1 rather than at the end of the month. The accelerated timeline is anticipated to help save jobs in education and drive additional reforms. On April 1, 2009, ED awarded 50 percent of each state's ARRA funds for Title I, IDEA and VR. For more information, please visit ED's Web site.
The Department also has published additional information on its $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" program, referred to in the ARRA statute as the State Incentive Grant Fund, that is a competitive grant program designed to encourage and reward states that are implementing significant education reforms. ED will finalize the Race to the Top regulations and start accepting applications for the competition this fall. The first round of grants will go out early next year. The second round of applications will likely be due in June 2010 and final awards will be made in September 2010. The notices of the proposed priorities for the Race to the Top fund are posted online.
ED has also released additional information on several new ARRA programs, including details on Phase 2 of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF). Phase 2 of the Stabilization Fund will award the remainder of a state's Education Stabilization Fund allocation to allow states to help stabilize state and local budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education and other essential services, in exchange for a state's commitment to advance essential education reform in key areas.
For more information on these and other ARRA programs visit ED's Web site or contact Catherine D. Clarke, ASHA's Director of Education and Regulatory Advocacy, via e-mail at cclarke@asha.org or by phone at 800-498-2071, ext. 5611.
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