AYER — “Communities that step up to the plate and fully fund their obligations” are being penalized.
So says Ayer town administrator Shaun Suhoski in reaction to an announcement last Thursday that Gov. Deval Patrick is funneling down to cities and towns some $168 million in federal education recovery “stimulus” funds.
But Ayer is not on the list of recipients.
In a terse e-mail to state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Suhoski “strongly encourage(d)” state lawmakers and the administration to “ensure an equitable distribution of funds that does not penalize those school districts that exceed the minimum foundation budget” for education spending.
Communities on the list to receive federal stimulus education money, on this first round of distribution, include $515,000 for Acton; $880,000 for the Acton-Boxboro district, $53,000 for Harvard, $975,000 for Littleton, $465,000 for the Nashoba Valley Regional District, and $2 million for Leominster.
Warning was given that the sums are preliminary and will be finalized once the House and Senate pass a local aid resolution, or they complete the fiscal year 2010 state budget. — Mary E. Arata
