FAIRMONT - Fairmont Area Schools has an estimated $361,320 coming its way, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
The funds are part of the federal Education Jobs Fund program, which allocated $10 billion to be disbursed among the states to save or create jobs for the 2010-2011 school year.
Of the $10 billion, $167 million was funneled to Minnesota, where funding formulas are determining how much each district gets.
Fairmont Area will receive $202 per pupil, according to Lonnie Hartley, media relations specialist with the state teachers union, Education Minnesota.
Districts may use the funds to pay teacher salaries or other employees providing school-level educational and related services. "Other employees" include librarians, coaches, interpreters, bus drivers and principals.
According to Hartley, the amount allocated to districts could change as states work out details of the program, but "for now it is a decent estimate."
The state has warned districts that the estimated payouts are subject to significant change during the school year, and are called "very soft estimates."
Sue Nelson, business manager for Fairmont Area Schools, said administrators will work on how to implement the additional resources into the budget once a more firm amount is known.
Nelson and Hartley both are unsure when funds will be available to districts, but paperwork distributed to schools indicates it should be in coming weeks.
The federal program specifically states districts can use the money for compensation and benefits for existing or new employees.
Funds to pay teachers' salaries help districts because those funds are paid out of a school's general fund, which also pays for books, paper and other classroom-related expenses. If districts have some relief from the pressure of paying salaries in a tight budget cycle, it frees funds to pay for other expenses.
Congressman Tim Walz who, along with Education Minnesota president Tom Dooher, visited Fairmont for an Education Minnesota luncheon with local teachers Wednesday, said the money used to fund the program was created by the closing of legislative loopholes, so the program is already paid for and won't cost taxpayers any additional money.
A major benefit of funding teacher salaries is the direct impact on student-teacher ratios in the classroom.
"Anytime you add money to bring in more teachers you are making the classroom smaller," Hartley said.
Estimated funding for other districts in the area: $157,760 to Martin County West; Granada-Huntley-East Chain was allocated $49,135; and Truman gets $65,263.