The Missouri Senate approved a bill this week that would allow use of federal stimulus funds for school construction.

As we reported last month, $20 billion was cut from the final version of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Although the legislation does not include a specific line item for school construction, $39.5 billion of the act’s $53.6-billion state fiscal stabilization fund would go to local school districts, and school modernization would be one of several eligible uses for those funds.

SB 291 would create a new state fund for new construction or repairs to school buildings. The state would distribute the stimulus money to districts based on their average daily attendance.

Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields said he hopes to put roughly $500 million from the stimulus package into the fund. He estimated that Missouri schools have roughly $4 billion in infrastructure needs.

Also, Missouri House  Budget Chairman Allen Icet will propose a special stimulus spending package that likely will include money for repairs, maintenance or construction at state-owned buildings and public universities.

Source: Associated Press