Local School Districts To Get Millions In Federal Help

The California Department of Education released preliminary figures this week of how much money each school district will get from a federal jobs bill signed by President Oabama.

Obama signed the measure into law just hours after the House passed it in a special one-day session during what would normally be the lawmakers’ summer break on August 10.

Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, voted against the measure.

Here are the preliminary numbers locally:

? $3,372,742 for Coachella Valley Unified School District

?$5,316,528 for Desert Sands Unified School District

?$4,450,379 for Palm Springs Unified School District

In all, $13.1 million from the federal jobs legislation will be split among three valley school district. It’s not clear if the money would be used immediately, or if it would be held for the future.

The $26 billion bill was designed to protect 300,000 teachers, police and others from election-year layoffs.

Obama and Democrats said quick action was necessary before children return to classrooms minus teachers laid off because of budgetary crises in states that have been hard-hit by the recession.

Republicans called the bill a giveaway to teachers unions and an example of wasteful Washington spending.