OXFORD — The Oxford Hills School District has received another $12,195 in federal jobs bill funding that would have come out of the local budget.
The money is in addition to the $791,000 the district received this fiscal year through the Federal Education Jobs Fund, which is being used to retain jobs, Superintendent Rick Colpitts said.
“The additional $12,000 plus will mean that part of a position that was to be funded in the local budget will now be funded out of the additional allocation, which will increase our carry-forward for fiscal year 2013,” Colpitts said. The fiscal year budget covers from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013.
According to the federal regulations, money from the Education Jobs Fund can be used to cover compensation and benefit costs for any school district employees who provide “school-level educational and related services.”
The positions can include teachers, principals, assistant principals, librarians, counselors, food service personnel, bus drivers, social workers, academic and athletic coaches, educational technicians, social workers, occupational, speech and physical therapists, but must be employed positions. The funds cannot be used to pay the cost of contracts.
Colpitts said the $790,000 could have been used in fiscal year 2011 or 2012, but school officials chose to use it in fiscal year 2012 to retain existing positions.
The money was used to maintain 40 custodian and bus driver positions, Colpitts said. About 7 percent of all district positions were funded with the money. The remaining 93 percent are funded through local, state and other federal funding sources, he said.
The the $12,195 is part of the Maine Department of Education’s overall distribution of $574,000 in federal funds to the state’s school districts.
Other area cities and towns receiving funds were: Auburn $9,743; Lewiston, $12,693; RSU 10 (Rumford and vicinity) $7,016; RSU 9 (Farmington and vicinity) $5,572; and RSU 16 (Poland, Mechanic Falls and Minot) $5,189.
According to a statement from the Maine Department of Education, the individual district’s allocation was based on the state funding formula.
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