Sweet Orange

Orange County schools, as well as most schools nationwide, have been hoping that money from the American Recovery and Investment Act will help with budget shortfalls that are the result of our current economic difficulties. The following help is on the way for California schools: $2.56 billion for the school districts general funds will be delivered soon. $1.2 billion for special education and Title I will be delivered in a few weeks, and 1 billion for the school districts general funds will be delivered in the fall.

Orange County schools will receive in total $125.6 million in stimulus funds this month. The funding per district school is determined by the amount of budget cuts in each district.

So what are we to make of the fact that Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which includes both Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, is set to get zero stimulus money? The only other Orange County school district that will receive no stimulus money is high-income Laguna Beach.  Santa Ana Unified School District, one of the lowest-income districts in Orange County, will receive $14,320,048, which is the largest amount of the stimulus money going to any Orange County school district.

 Is the Newport-Mesa School District so financial sound that budget cuts were not necessary, or were other factors involved? If you have any insight on this, please leave a comment.

Note: The schools that serve Irvine will receive the following amounts: Irvine Unified School District, $2,936,940; Tustin Unified School District, $5,642,231. For a full list of the stimulus money that each Orange County school district will receive see “Money coming to schools.”

PHOTO COURTESY GREAT SCHOOLS