On a white board near his office, St. Peter Supt. Jeff Olson has a telling phrase written underneath a note about President Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package.
It says “wild card.”
And for area school officials still grappling with the complexities of a bill thousands of pages large, that phrase seems to be accurate.
“Our standpoint is that we have to go with the information that is solid right now,” Olson said. “But the good news is that it does appear schools will get some additional funding.”
Just how much, however, remains unclear.
The $787 billion stimulus plan includes about $100 billion for the nation’s schools. Minnesota is in line for about $9 billion with $670 million slated for education.
Current estimates show the Mankato Area School District will receive more than $2 million over the next two years. School districts similar in size to, say, Maple River, St. Peter and Waseca will receive in the neighborhood of $500,000. Smaller districts the size of St. Clair and Nicollet will receive about $100,000.
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Local News
School stimulus funds still a ‘wild card’
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Half pound of pot found after police respond to domestic call
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Barn restored to early glory to be site of service
An ecumenical church service and old-fashioned potluck dinner will be held at a renovated barn on Sunday.
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Update: Storm causes damage throughout New Ulm area
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Regional school, university to focus on work-skills education
The university will be corporate-sponsored, although none has officially signed on yet. The charter high school — which will be modeled in part after the New Country School in Henderson but with a “business twist” — will focus on hands-on lessons for alternative learners.
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Nicollet County to start from scratch to fill top post
The County Board on Wednesday opted to re-open the application process when its five commissioners split their views on the two finalist candidates.
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Mary Louise Pepper, 65, of Sleepy Eye was stopped on Highway 60 east of Madison Lake Thursday for driving 60 mph in a 55-mph zone. The Blue Earth County sheriff’s deputy who stopped Pepper reported seeing what he believed to be a meth pipe in her purse.
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Department of Natural Resources is trying to expand fishing opportunities for those without boats by building new public fishing piers and renovating older ones.
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