Area school officials say federal stimulus money slated for education has helped keep many educators working, but when those funds run out schools could start losing teachers.
A new report compiled by Carl Bethune, the superintendent of Jefferson County schools, looked at 11 counties in the Augusta area and predicted that 701 teacher jobs could vanish when stimulus money is no longer available for fiscal year 2012. Richmond and Columbia counties are among those listed in the report.
In Richmond County, administrators say they've relied on the federal dollars that were granted for the next two years.
"If we had not received the stimulus funds, we would have needed to reduce personnel costs in some way and rifting (reducing) employees could have been part of that equation," said Richmond County school system controller Gene Spires. "Budgets for other items could not be reduced any further."
Richmond County officials have said they were approved for nearly $32 million in federal stimulus funds. The money has a wide range of uses -- to include instruction materials and school equipment -- but mostly officials say it helped save more than 400 school jobs for the next two years.
Once stimulus money runs out, school officials have said they would have to find another way to pay for certain positions, including several intervention specialists who provide help to students at risk of not graduating. If the economy doesn't pick up and state budget cuts continue, Richmond County schools spokesman Louis Svehla has said other funding sources could prove difficult to come by.
For now, officials are touting what they have. Earlier this month, a federal report showed that more than 16,000 education jobs in Georgia had been saved or created through stimulus money, according to an Associated Press report.
In Columbia County, school officials also say the funds have gone a long way.
Before the start of the school year, Columbia County school officials cut more than 100 positions -- about 70 teaching jobs and another 30 auxiliary staff -- because of state budget cuts. Had it not been for a $5 million infusion of stimulus money to the budget, Superintendent Charles Nagle said officials likely would have had to cut an additional 60 to 70 positions.
The school system had lost about $13 million in state funding, dropping from $104 million last school year to just $91 million intended for this school year. But Gov. Sonny Perdue added $5 million in federal stimulus funds back into the budget.
Mr. Nagle said $1 million equals about 15 positions, including salary and benefits.
"If we had not gotten that money, we were going to have to cut," he said.
The school system also received an additional $3 million in stimulus money to help fund special education and Title 1 programs for the next two years. Those funds not only helped save jobs, but also led to new hires, Mr. Nagle said.
The school system hired two psychologists, a social worker and a paraprofessional to work on those programs. In all, about 15 positions were saved or added because of stimulus funds earmarked for special education and Title 1 programs.
In Aiken County, Superintendent Beth Everitt said stimulus money "absolutely saved jobs." Comptroller Tray Traxler said 43.5 full-time positions were saved in Aiken County with Title I and IDEA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.
Under federal Title I provisions, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided more than $10 billion in funds nationwide to schools with a high concentration of students who live in poverty and are at risk of failing to meet state academic standards. The money was not part of the $700 billion in federal stimulus funds pumped out to states this past year.
Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 828-3851 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
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The stimulus is a temporary fix, but it is even more temporary if applied to government jobs.
Why would U report on a report from a superintendent from another county, who may have did some creative math? The stimulus money was designed to get through this tough time and until the economy is more stable. Two years is enough time to get the school leadership prepared and prioritize issues to be ready for budget cuts and teacher positions. The stimulus is working as designed.
hey justas the stimulas was a scam ......it's not going to work and we are now beginning to see what a lot of us non-sheeple knew from the beginning......you are really a slooow sheeple.
The "stimulus" scam is money stolen from taxpayers to promote big government. This house of cards is liable to fall at any given moment.
The stimulus only created temporary jobs which will be eliminated when the money runs out and will create a larger depression. The only way to rebuild this economy is to rebuild manufacturing jobs in America. Something that will be permanent and take back those jobs sent to foreign countries. For the almighty dollar we have built other countries economies and destroyed America's economy.
"The only way to rebuild the economy is to rebuild manufacturing jobs in America".......way to simplistic. That would mean Democrats giving rich people a tax break to build/expand/hire people (to pay taxes). Tax breaks to the rich, resulting in jobs that hire poor people??????. It was done successfully before (truck drivers and prison guards for vets, and even Wal Mart got in on the program back when somebody suggested eliminating welfare). Which is better? Move them jobs to Mexico and keep the rich companies from making money (here in America) providing Americans with work --, or millions on state sponsored and provided welfare? Ask yourself who continues to benefits from 'the poor'... JOBS HERE, JOBS NOW!!! Overly simplistic, but how else to build a tax base?
Justnuts thinks that everything Obama does is wonderful, because he's the only one that can get Big Daddy sprung.
I think the stimulus money is wonderful. If the past administration would hae been honest with the american people we would not need to try and stimulate .
We can fix our economy,,IT'S CALLED BUY USA,,do business w/bus who have JOBS here in USA..Stop giving our money for jobs overseas..Next time I buy groceries I am looking for our products from this country..Walmart watch out,,they could do a better job of USA products,,I noticed some veggies (frozen)came from other countries..Won't happen again..Kroger.
By the way,, does anyone remember Ross Perot??? I think he said we are going to hear a huge sucking sound of US JOBS going away..Didnot want him as pres..but that cagey texan was right..