May 21, 2009
Education researcher: Stimulus dollars will impact states differently
Federal stimulus dollars targeting education will impact states differently, depending on each state’s fiscal condition, according to a new state-by-state analysis from the Center on Reinventing Public Education.
States not facing education budget shortfalls, like Wyoming and South Dakota, may see the federal dollars as a windfall. Other states with severe budget problems, like California, still may need to reduce education spending because the federal dollars are not enough to close the gap.
“Many are hoping the federal stimulus money will prompt major reforms,” says Marguerite Roza, senior scholar at the center, located at UW Bothell, and research associate professor at the UW College of Education.
“In states with no funding gaps, the federal dollars may indeed be used to improve programs,” Roza said. “Those states with shortfalls, however, may be more likely to see reforms that build in more efficient ways of educating students.”
“Ranking the States: Federal Education Stimulus Money and the Prospects for Reform” is available at crpe.org. It is the third brief in a series titled “$chools in Crisis: Making Ends Meet,” designed to bring relevant fiscal analyses to policymakers during the current economic crisis.
The center engages in independent research and policy analysis on a range of K-12 public education reform issues, including choice & charters, finance & productivity, teachers, urban district reform, leadership, and state & federal reform.
