The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today on the money soon to flow into Missouri as a part of the economic stimulus.

$114 million will be available in Missouri. That funding will only be available for 2 years, so districts are limited to non recurring expenditures. They are also limited by a breakout of the funds that requires a certain amount to be focused on 2 main groups: low income students and special needs students. School districts will have to determine how they will allocate those funds and then apply to receive that funding for their programs or spending needs.

These dollars will hopefully tide Missouri k-12 education over while state revenues are scarce. The Post-Dispatch article shows the breakdown of funds by district, and notes that funding to St. Louis City schools and the Special School District that serves across districts to provide special needs services and specialists will nearly double the amount of federal aid they receive.

What is still somewhat unclear is exactly how school districts will be accountable: will they simply be burdened to show that they spend those dollars in the appropriate area, or will they be asked to show that these programs are improving quality of education?

While these funds seem very restricted (the Post-Dispatch notes that little can be spent on hiring or facilities), they offer a huge opportunity to track the success of targeted programs on specific demographics. They also present an opportunity to public schools to experiment with ways to help their most underprivileged students.