Schools divvy up federal funding

Flathead County schools will receive about 8 percent of the stimulus money allocated for Montana special services programs.

Schools will receive money for special education through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. They also get money for Title I programs.

Both already are partially funded by the federal government.

All but two schools in Flathead County - Pleasant Valley and West Glacier Elementary schools - receive Title I payments. Every school in the county receives special education money.

Some districts belong to special education cooperatives, which will distribute the stimulus payments to member schools.

The Evergreen, Bigfork and Helena Flats districts have a cooperative. Columbia Falls distributes money to its own schools as well as the West Glacier and East Glacier districts.

Most rural schools in the county belong to the Flathead Special Education Cooperative. The co-op will funnel the stimulus money it receives directly to the schools, business manager Amber Yoder said.

Following is a list of the stimulus money tht Flathead County school districts expect to receive, according to the state Office of Public Instruction:

District Special ed Title I Total

Kalispell* $1,493,980 $801,626 $2,295,606

Columbia Falls* $608,187 $579,109 $1,187,296

Whitefish* $441,848 $369,428 $811,276

Bigfork* $198,233 $153,142 $351,375

Evergreen $188,020 $149,882 $337,902

Somers-Lakeside $140,400 $99,442 $239,842

West Valley $95,167 $51,751 $146,918

Smith Valley $50,460 $45,186 $95,646

Kila $41,731 $45,914 $87,645

Helena Flats $54,026 $32,471 $86,497

Cayuse Prairie $48,735 $30,441 $79,176

Swan River $36,615 $37,066 $73,681

Fair-Mont-Egan $38,449 $13,191 $51,640

Marion $30,604 $20,430 $51,034

Olney-Bissell $23,727 $23,797 $47,524

Creston $21,220 $14,206 $35,426

Deer Park $21,192 $11,162 $32,354

West Glacier $6,719 0 $6,719

Pleasant Valley $1,429 0 $1,429

Total: $3,540,742 $2,478,244 $6,018,986

*Includes elementary and high school districts.