*According to The Salt Lake Tribune, state officials intend to spend about $57 million of the $500 million headed their way for Title 1 schools, which serve a high percentage of low-income children. State school superintendent Harrington wants to use that money on new computer labs, electronic writing software, and individualized programs to help teach English as a second language. If these poorer schools don’t have technology to rival that of more affluent schools, the kids “will never be able to catch up,” she says.
*In addition to $386.3 million in stabilization funds for local school districts, Iowa will receive $3.2 million to outfit classrooms with new computers and software. The money will also fund professional development “to ensure that the technology is effectively used by students,” says senator Tom Harkin in an interview with School Library Journal.
* The St. Louis Beacon reports that Missouri will receive about $13.7 million, including $4 million in regular-technology funding and an extra $9.7 million from the stimulus package. The much larger school population in Illinois is getting $36.6 million in technology funding, including $26.6 million in high-tech money from the educational stimulus program.
School officials in Missouri say that even the downsized program will allow more districts to add computers, SMART boards, digital cameras, and other high-tech gadgets to their classrooms.
