Schools Are Receiving $129 Billion in Stimulus Aid. Where Is It Going?

There’s money for summer schools, tutors and field trips, but other urgent needs will not be addressed.

In Dallas, the school district has big plans for its share of federal stimulus money, including hiring about 1,300 tutors. New hires, though, are being handed a sheet of paper that says their positions may last for only two or three years. Bristol Virginia Public Schools wants to use the federal money for one of its most pressing needs, replacing aging school buildings. But since that is most likely not allowed, it will use some of the money to fund a summer field trip to Florida. Legislators in Wisconsin have said the federal money for schools means that the state can limit education spending, leaving districts to figure out whether the federal funds can make up for the state shortfall.