The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Public Law 111-5, provided funding opportunities to public schools and libraries.

U.S. Department of Education overview     American Library Association page

Reporting, Accountability, and Transparency. A Reporting page houses all ARRA-related reporting information handled by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Anyone knowing of fraud, waste, or abuse involving federal funds or programs should contact the Office of Inspector General (OIG). ARRA provides protections for certain individuals who make specified disclosures relating to Recovery Act funds.

Grants in which the DPI played a role, for Wisconsin schools and libraries:

• Broadband Fiber to K-12s and Libraries
• Educational Jobs Fund (Ed Jobs)
• Educational Technology
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B
• Qualified School Construction Bonds
• Qualified Zone Academy Bonds
• Race to the Top
• Teacher Incentive Fund
• Teacher Quality Partnership Grants
• Title I-A
• Title I School Improvement, Section 1003(g)

Other funding opportunities:

• Investing in Innovation - competitive grants from the U.S. Department of Education
• Clean Diesel funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants from the U.S. Department of Energy
• Rural Community Facilities Programs - grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Additionally, Gov. Jim Doyle used much of the ARRA's State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to maintain and provide a slight increase to current PK-12 education funding levels in his 2009-11 budget.

Links and Resources:

U.S. Department of Education page on the ARRA

 

American Library Association page on the ARRA

 

"Using ARRA Funds to Drive School Reform and Improvement" (U.S. Department of Education)

 

"Possible Coordinated Uses of ARRA Funds" (DPI)

 

DPI chart: ARRA funding compared to regular IDEA and Title I funding

 

DPI Letter to School Districts of March 31, 2009, about ARRA funding

 

Web-friendly version of the ARRA, from the Library of Congress (listed with other federal appropriations legislation; click on "P.L. 111-5")

 

Presentation from U.S. Department of Education

 

Education Recovery and Reinvestment Center at Learning Point Associates

 

Summary of the major education provisions of the ARRA, from the Council of Chief State School Officers