With school superintendents across the state bracing for cuts to their budgets, news of federal stimulus money couldn’t be coming a better time. But while this money will be helpful, it is earmarked for very specific uses and will not solve all the schools’ economic woes.

“This stimulus money is coming at a good time,” admitted Marshall Kemp, superintendent of Logan County Public Schools. The money for education is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), signed by President Barack Obama in February.

Logan County schools will receive nearly $1.3 million in federal funds and Russellville Independent Schools will receive nearly $500,000.

“You take what you can get and it will help,” said Roger Cook, superintendent of Russellville Schools.

The money is divided into money for Title 1 programs, special education and Individual Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs. The guidelines for how the money is used are pretty restrictive.

“The reason they gave us the money is to try to save jobs and that’s what we’ll try to do,” Cook said.

Kemp agreed that much of the money will be used for staff. However, since the money is just a one-time thing, you have to be careful how you use it for staff because the jobs will just be on a year-to-year basis.

Some of the funds will also be used for professional development and resources that will benefit learning. Cook said they are considering using some of the money to purchase a new special education bus because the current one is pretty old.

As school leaders decide how best to use this federal money, they are also working on their annual budgets with the knowledge that cuts could be coming later in the summer.

“Every superintendent in the state has been told by Frankfort to expect a four percent cut,” Cook said. That would mean about $400,000 for Russellville and as much as $750,000 for Logan County.

Kemp said the budget they have now is a tentative budget and it is balanced.

“Right now we’re at a break even position,” Kemp said. But even to create the current budget, sacrifices have been made. Kemp said they are looking at cutting eight or nine positions. And talk of the new school on Franklin Road is no more until there is better news on the horizon financially.

Cook said Russellville is in fairly good shape financially, especially for a smaller school district. However, like many districts, Cook said he had to give his non-tenured teachers letters saying there was no guarantee of a job next fall. Most will come back, but the letter is required just in case budget cuts make staff cuts a necessity.

Though the federal money is pretty restricted, both Cook and Kemp said it could help them with their regular budgets in a small way. Some things they currently pay for with money from their general fund can be taken care of with this stimulus money, thus freeing up some general fund money.