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Oregon gets $392 million for jobs, education
Only about $56 million will go to higher education, OUS under strict guidelines of its use
Rebecca Johnson
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: News
The federal government has approved a $392 million stimulus package to improve Oregon education and save jobs, but with the cuts this current biennium budget has suffered already, the funds may provide only a small level of relief.
"These dollars come at a much-needed time to help local school districts, community colleges and public universities continue to provide a quality education during this economic downturn," said Gov. Ted Kulongoski in a press release. "While this funding is a critical part of Oregon's safety net, there is no escaping the reality of our current economic climate and the fact that these dollars will not supplement the state's budget shortfall."
The money is going into a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program to be distributed by the state to school districts and institutions.
Kulongoski said that $171 million of the funds will be released immediately to carry schools to the end of the year. The remainder of the funds will be added to the 2009-11 biennium budget.
Of the money, only about $56 million is going toward higher education, and the Oregon University System is under strict guidelines of how it can spend it.
"We were directed by the federal government that this money must be spent to either mitigate tuition increases or to save jobs," said Diane Saunders, spokesperson for the Oregon University System. "And by the end of it we must show proof that that is how the money was spent."
The budget for higher education is around $870 million for the current two-year cycle. During this economic downturn, higher education has suffered $102 million in budget cuts, much of it coming in the last few months, so that the money being received now is being used merely to cover those losses.
"It's basically cutting our cuts in half," Saunders said.
Oregon education as a whole has seen $158 million cut away from its general funding, according to Susanne Smith, communications director for the Oregon Department of Education.
"These dollars come at a much-needed time to help local school districts, community colleges and public universities continue to provide a quality education during this economic downturn," said Gov. Ted Kulongoski in a press release. "While this funding is a critical part of Oregon's safety net, there is no escaping the reality of our current economic climate and the fact that these dollars will not supplement the state's budget shortfall."
The money is going into a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program to be distributed by the state to school districts and institutions.
Kulongoski said that $171 million of the funds will be released immediately to carry schools to the end of the year. The remainder of the funds will be added to the 2009-11 biennium budget.
Of the money, only about $56 million is going toward higher education, and the Oregon University System is under strict guidelines of how it can spend it.
"We were directed by the federal government that this money must be spent to either mitigate tuition increases or to save jobs," said Diane Saunders, spokesperson for the Oregon University System. "And by the end of it we must show proof that that is how the money was spent."
The budget for higher education is around $870 million for the current two-year cycle. During this economic downturn, higher education has suffered $102 million in budget cuts, much of it coming in the last few months, so that the money being received now is being used merely to cover those losses.
"It's basically cutting our cuts in half," Saunders said.
Oregon education as a whole has seen $158 million cut away from its general funding, according to Susanne Smith, communications director for the Oregon Department of Education.
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