A Tale Of Two Counties - Clayton County & Fayette County Georgia - Part III

Clearly some people's opposition to the federal stimulus money is because they their money is taxed away at a progressive rate but they don't receive any of it back in return. Thus the strategy of "keeping MY MONEY local" seems a logical strategy for those who have governed themselves accordingly.

In other words - we are far more likely to hear about the need to express charity and compassion for those who have "less than" rather than any particular drive to have certain policies and practices that produce the resources needed to sustain a community be advanced while those which fail to be subverted.


Clayton schools to get $25M in federal aid

The cash-strapped Clayton County school system will get $25 million in federal stimulus money over the next two years, U.S. Rep. David Scott announced.

The money will help offset the loss in state aid, board chairwoman Alieka Anderson said Friday. The district is slated to lose $23 million in state aid this year because of a drop in enrollment following the accreditation loss.

About $16.5 million of the federal aid must be used for construction, according to Michael Andel, Scott’s chief of staff.

About $7.2 million must go to programs that help low-income students. About 77 percent of Clayton’s students qualify for free or reduced meals, according to the state Department of Education.

The remaining funds will be spent on programs for special needs children, Andel said.

Fayette only district not receiving Title 1 bailout

Fayette County school officials are taking a conservative approach when it comes to stimulus dollars.

Very conservative.

Maybe that's because they aren't expecting a lot of bailout dollars from the federal stimulus because of the county's poverty level.

"We are the only district in the state not receiving any Title I funding," said Dr. John DeCotis, Superintendnet of Fayette County Schools.
"We have asked why, and they can't tell us. They can't explain it, but they say we don’t qualify," he said.

Sandra Watson, Fayette County Director of Elementary Schools and Title Programs, said she had spoken with a representative in Washington, D.C., and had been told that Fayette could apply for only one of four grants that might be
available through a second round of funding.

"They say it's because of our poverty levels are below 5 percent," Watson said.

According to Watson, the poverty level for Fayette was based on the 2007 estimates derived from the 2000 census.