The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

Stimulus funds go to Hub housing, schools

By By Jeanine Budd, News Staff

Boston Public Schools (BPS) and the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) will be major benefactors of the $147.4 million in stimulus money Boston will receive from the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARAA) this year, according to city officials.
The money will be distributed to the city through two channels, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the federal government. It will be allocated to projects throughout the city, which include transportation, public safety, housing and public schools, according to the city’s website.
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization will direct a $21 million project for city-wide street renovations and a $12.9 million project to renovate Dorchester Avenue, as well as $5 million for traffic light and management technology upgrades, according to the city.
Nick Martin, a spokesperson from Mayor Thomas Menino’s office, said there are special reporting measures stipulated by the federal government in the funding allocations for each city.
‘The city is intent on following those guidelines very strictly so that we can make sure the funding is used both properly and in a timely manner,’ he said.
The mayor has started an economic recovery team headed by Jake Sullivan, the mayor’s federal relations officer from the city’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations, who will focus on the stimulus money and where it is going, Martin said.
City officials expect funding for renewable energy from the federal Energy and Environmental Block Grant, but are still waiting for Federal officials to distribute the money.
The BHA will receive $33 million through the Public Housing Capital Fund.
The BHA will spend $10 million renovating and adding 100 apartments to the Washington Beech public housing units in Roslindale, and $5 million on adding energy efficient lighting and heating to the Bromley-Heath, Charlestown, Commonwealth, Franklin Field, Holgate, Lenox, Old Colony, Pasciucco, Roslyn, Torre Unidad, Washington Street and Whittier Street public housing developments.
The Boston School Committee voted yesterday to cut 500 jobs, more than 200 of them teachers, according to local media reports.
Melissa Duggan, a spokesperson for BPS, said as of now, BPS officials only know what they will receive from the federal government through the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) grant, and have yet to find out how much they will receive through the ARRA, which is distributed by the state. Through fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010), BPS will receive approximately $30 million through Title I, as well as ARRA and IDEA, Duggan said.
Duggan said BPS will use the money to restore staffing and bring back some positions which have been cut, but because the federal government requires them to do more with the money than just restore cut positions, BPS will also be focusing funds on special education.
According to the BPS website, the new budget will include consistent new guidelines for literacy education, funding for more challenging learning opportunities including Advanced Placement classes in all Boston public high schools, and dropout prevention and recovery initiatives including a new transition center to help students who have dropped out to re-enter the school system.
These are just three areas of focus in a list of seven areas.
‘We were facing a budget gap for the fiscal year of 2010. This money is certainly helpful, it doesn’t solve all of our problems, but it certainly helps the superintendent to invest in her academic agenda more than she could have otherwise,’ Duggan said.
Rachel Tabak, a senior physical therapy major, said she thinks the money should go to green energy.
‘We consume a lot, and I think that green energy will be the most sustainable solution and will have a long-term impact,’ she said. ‘I think the mind frame is that we have never been told no, and we’re seeing that we’ve been maybe going about things a little wrong. We’re running out of resources as well as money.’
Sushru Takunnenkeri, a senior biology major, said he also thinks a significant portion of the money should be put into schools.
‘I personally think that so much was taken away during [the administration of Gov. Mitt] Romney from education. Things were taken out of the public education system and I think it needs to be put back,’ he said.

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