Reducing the Amount of Money Spent on Special Ed

What happens to special education when federal stimulus dollars run out?

IDEA Money Watch, a watchdog group that monitors special ed expenditures, including Recovery Act funds, fears that school districts could begin to cut back their spending in the coming year. And it has reason to.

In 2009, schools districts were allowed to supplant up to half of their local spending required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (the federal special ed law) with stimulus dollars. Now that the stimulus dollars are running out, they don't necessarily have to return their local allocations to the previous level ...

Posted July 18, 2011 noon | 0 comments

First Quarter Data Reveal States Have Spent 75% of Stimulus Funds

New federal data compiled on EdMoney.org, EWA's stimulus-tracker website, show that cumulatively, the 50 states and the District of Columbia have spent 74.82 percent of their funding for education from the 2009 economic stimulus law.

As of the end of April 2011, 28 states had reported spending 75 percent or more of their stimulus money, while 40 states reported spending two-thirds of it or more. The 10 states that had reported spending the largest share of their funding were:

Iowa, 93.07%
New Hampshire, 92.42%
South Dakota, 89.14%
Minnesota, 87.36%
California, 87.12%
Idaho, 86.92%
New Jersey, ...

Posted May 11, 2011 2:03 p.m. | 0 comments

Did Country's Education 'Moon Shot' Hit Its Target?

With contributions from Noah Bierman, Boston Globe; Liz Bowie, Baltimore Sun; Grace Merritt, Hartford (Conn.) Courant; Tara Malone, Chicago Tribune; Betsy Hammond, The (Portland) Oregonian; Andrea Eger, Tulsa World; Karel Holloway, The Dallas Morning News; Jeannette Rundquist, Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger; and John Mooney, NJSpotlight.com

In the two years since Congress made the federal government’s largest one-time investment in public schools, change has rippled through classrooms from coast to coast. Tennessee and Delaware have revamped their laws to promote the growth of charter schools. Massachusetts and Maryland have launched efforts to tie teacher evaluations to student performance. Reflecting similar moves ...

Posted Feb. 11, 2011 midnight | 0 comments

RTTT 2 Winner Roundup: Angles Galore

The U.S. Department of Education announced the 10 winners of the next phase of Race to the Top on Tuesday, and it included a couple of surprises. Many speculated that Illinois, Colorado and Louisiana would be in the top 10. Few folks expected Hawaii or Maryland to make the cut.

The winners, in order of ranking from top to bottom, were: Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii, Florida, Rhode Island, District of Columbia, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio.

The Department of Education offered a roundup of rankings, a video statement by U.S. Secretary of ...

Posted Aug. 24, 2010 5:37 p.m. | 1 comments

Race to Top Part of Ed-News Marathon

(cross-posted at EdBeat)

I joined what seemed like half of the Washington ed world today for Arne Duncan’s speech at the National Press Club, where he winnowed the field of contenders vying for $3.4 billion in Race to the Top money to 18 states and the District of Columbia.

Based on how they fare on a complicated 500-point scoring rubric, the second-round winners ...

Posted July 27, 2010 6:07 p.m. | 0 comments

Auditing Stimulus Spending

Edmoney is going live with the data from seven states that were audited by the US Department of Education Inspector General's Office.

The inspector general's auditing services division issued its final report on the spot checks it did of various states' ability to monitor how districts and charter schools are spending stimulus dollars.

Tennessee got a clean bill of health from the auditors. Concerns were raised about the six others, though Texas and Illinois were taking steps in the right direction.

The audit wasn't looking to uncover any improper expenditures, just raising questions about whether states ...

Posted July 7, 2010 12:35 p.m. | 2 comments

Updated! Race to the Top, Round 2 applications are in

Note: Links for applications updated June 23. The competition for the second round of billions in education stimulus dollars from the federal government will feature 36 competitors, the U.S. Department of Education said Tuesday.

That's just shy of the 41 applicants for Race to the Top in Round One. States have been busily writing new education laws, and begging school districts and teachers unions to sign off on applications to improve their chances at a grant. But some gave up on the challenge, and others said they were concerned about the extent they were ...

Posted June 1, 2010 6:38 p.m. | 0 comments

20 states win grants for data work

Hoping to spur databases that track students from pre-K to college, the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences awarded $250 million in three-year grants this week to 20 states with money from the 2009 federal stimulus act.

The grants, which ranged from $5.1 million for Ohio to $19.7 million for New York will also promote links between students and teachers. A familiar refrain from Education Secretary Arne Duncan has been linking teacher pay to student test scores. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands applied.

While these ...

Posted May 22, 2010 10:34 a.m. | 0 comments

RTTT winners will be announced today

Later today, the U.S. Department of Education will tell us who wins cash in the first round of Race to the Top. After getting 41 applications, reviewers whittled the list to 16 finalists  -- Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee.

This month, each state sent representatives to D.C. for in-person interviews that Education Secretary Arne Duncan said would be the deciding factors, since all 16 finalists had scored above 400 points, out of a possible 500.

The predictions about who ...

Posted March 29, 2010 8:15 a.m. | 0 comments

RTTT finalists have a variety of backers, naysayers

So who really has the best shot at being a first round winner of the much-needed Race to the Top money?

It depends on whom you ask.

The Partnership for Learning says Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana and Tennessee have the best overall applications. The Washington-state based organization's mission is to ensure all students graduate from high school and be ready for college and work.  Colorado gets props because the state would take Denver's performance pay system for teachers statewide. Florida gets a nod for being a "trailblazer" of education reforms, having a comprehensive data system and charter-friendly ...

Posted March 22, 2010 6 a.m. | 0 comments

Links to the 16 finalists' RTTT applications

Now that the U.S. Department of Education has shrunk the list of potential phase 1 Race to the Top winners to 16, we thought we'd make it easier for you to compare and contrast their applications. Here's a list of links to the heavy duty documents. After the winners are named, the federal government said they would share reviewers' comments about the applications -- the winners and the losers.

*       Colorado

*       Delaware

*       District of Columbia

*       Florida

*       Georgia

Posted March 7, 2010 noon | 0 comments

More finalists than winners in the first phase of Race to the Top

Most of the 16 finalists in the first round of Race to the Top will go home as finalists -- not winners, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Thursday afternoon.

The finalists -- Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee -- all scored more than 400 points out of a maximum possible 500 on their applications so far, beating out 25 other applicants. In-person interviews later this month will determine who will win. Duncan said it's likely the group will be winnowed ...

Posted March 4, 2010 2:55 p.m. | 0 comments

The official list of RTTT finalists

All of these states' applications scored more than 400 points out of a maximum 500 points on their applications, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Thursday afternoon. But they won't all win. "We will announce those winners in April. We are setting a very high bar," Duncan said during a conference call with reporters. "We anticipate very few winners in Phase 1." 

*       Colorado
*       Delaware
*       District of Columbia
*       Florida
*       Georgia
*       Illinois
*       Kentucky
*       Louisiana
*       Massachusetts
*       New York
*       North Carolina
*       Ohio
*       Pennsylvania
*       Rhode Island
*       South Carolina
*       Tennessee

More of Duncan's comments to come.

Posted March 4, 2010 1:48 p.m. | 0 comments

15 states and D.C. named Race to the Top finalists

Race to the Top finalists are Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee, according to EdWeek.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will announce the round-one finalists for the department's two-round, $4.35 billion Race to the Top competition during a press conference call with reporters at 2:30 p.m. today. 

EdMoney.org will post the official list later today. Stay tune. 

Posted March 4, 2010 10 a.m. | 0 comments

President Obama seeks to expand Race to the Top program

President Barack Obama announced plans today to seek the expansion of the Race to the Top competition, requesting $1.35 billion in his 2011 budget.

The announcement comes as states competing for the first round of RTTT grants met today’s deadline to submit the stimulus grant application. A total of 40 states joined the competition for $4.35 billion in stimulus grants.  

“Offering our children an outstanding education is one of our most fundamental – perhaps our most fundamental obligation as a country,” said Obama, who made the announcement while visiting Graham Road Elementary in Falls Church, ...

Posted Jan. 19, 2010 3:52 p.m. | 0 comments

Can school districts keep interest earned on ARRA cash advances?

As billions of stimulus dollars began to flow to states last year, many state education agencies implemented procedures to ensure the funds were delivered fast and spent quickly – requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

But seven states – California, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Puerto Rico – struggled with cash management problems after pushing out cash advances to Local Education Agencies or LEAs, according to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).

In five of the seven states audited, state education agencies advanced the ...

Posted Jan. 11, 2010 noon | 0 comments

1,000 Chicago Teachers To Be Let Go in Annual Layoff

In the coming days, Chicago Public Schools officials plan to hand out pink slips to about 1,000 teachers. The layoffs include the annual reduction in teaching staff because of school closings and enrollment declines, but they also include school-based budget cuts to about 150 supplemental teaching positions and program reductions, district officials said. Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, Chicago Tribune, June 26, 2011

Posted June 29, 2011 3:48 p.m.

New Race to Top: $500M for Early Ed., $200M for Round 2 Runners-Up

Education Secretary Arne Duncan will divvy up the $700 million in additional Race to the Top money Congress gave him this year between a new contest focused on early education and the nine runners-up that in last year's high-profile state competition, the Education Department announced today. Michele McNeil, Education Week, May 25, 2011

Posted May 26, 2011 9:33 a.m.

Missouri, Illinois schools have tough time making stimulus grade

In Missouri and Illinois, perhaps the most tangible results of school stimulus have resulted from $3 billion in grants aimed at fixing schools that persistently rank in the bottom 5 percent in each state, based on test scores. Matthew Franck, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Feb. 13, 2011

Posted Feb. 15, 2011 10:54 a.m.

State Officials Pursue Private Support for Public School Reform Initiatives

For months, Illinois education officials have courted private support for public education reforms that would test every kindergartner and revamp how teenagers study science and technology. Tara Malone, Chicago Tribune, Feb. 13, 2011

Posted Feb. 12, 2011 10:47 a.m.

Mixed Report Card for Education Stimulus After 2 Years

Nearly $100 billion in aid saved jobs and spurred state policy overhauls, but the long-term impact remains to be seen as the recovery act reaches its second anniversary. Michele McNeil, Education Week, Feb. 12, 2011

Posted Feb. 12, 2011 9:32 a.m.

Congress unlikely to extend hand to ailing states

States will continue to face substantial deficits over the next few years, but they will have to get by with the end of stimulus spending and less financial help from the federal government. The Associated Press, Jan. 6, 2011

Posted Jan. 7, 2011 4:23 p.m.

A Federal Lifeline for Hard-Pressed School Districts

After the Education Jobs Fund was announced in August, the federal government encouraged districts to quickly spend their portion of the $415 million. But, technically, districts do not have to use the money until Sept. 30, 2012. By Dec. 1, only about 20 percent of Illinois school districts had spent all their federal jobs money, according to Illinois State Board of Education reports. Crystal Yednak, Chicago News Cooperative,Dec. 30, 2010

Posted Jan. 3, 2011 9:56 a.m.

Education funds likely won't bring back laid-off teachers

Area school officials say a federal funds initiative to keep teachers in classrooms or bring back laid-off teachers likely will go toward paying salaries and reducing the amount districts otherwise would be spending out of reserves. By Dave Haney, Peoria Journal Star

Posted Sept. 27, 2010 12:55 p.m.

Districts left in doubt over federal funds

When President Barack Obama signed an emergency education spending bill this week, supporters said it would almost immediately send $10 billion to states — including more than $600 million in Missouri and Illinois — to spare thousands of teacher jobs. Now some educators are puzzled over how and when the money will actually reach schools. By Jessica Bock, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Posted Aug. 13, 2010 5:31 p.m.

Many Chicago Charter Schools Run Deficits, Data Shows

Even as the Obama administration promotes charter schools as a way to help raise the academic performance of the nation’s students, half of Chicago’s charter schools have been running deficits in recent years, an analysis of financial and budget documents shows, calling into question their financial viability. By Sarah Karp, Catalyst-Chicago via New York Times

Posted Aug. 13, 2010 5:16 p.m.

Race to Top Madness (Sort of) Strikes Again!

Twenty-four hours from now, we'll at last know which states survived the first round of elimination to be finalists for Round Two of the Race to the Top sweepstakes. There's $3.4 billion still in the bank for the winning states.

Posted July 26, 2010 10:24 p.m.

Can NJ Win Race to the Top Without Support of Teachers Union?

Massachusetts made a last-minute decision to apply for Race to the Top money with only mixed support from its teachers unions. California filed its application despite the opposition of its largest local union, the one representing Los Angeles teachers. But after Minnesota couldn’t get its teachers unions to buy into its bid, it decided not to apply at all. The same decision came in Indiana. "Without support from the union that represents more than 90 percent of Indiana's school districts, our application will not be competitively positioned," said Indiana’s schools superintendent, Tony Bennett. Then there’s New Jersey.

Posted June 30, 2010 8:09 a.m.

Race to Top Buy-In Level Examined

States significantly increased buy-in from local teachers’ unions in round two of the Race to the Top competition, but made far less progress in enlisting districts or expanding the number of students affected by the states’ education reform plans. Those patterns emerged from an Education Week analysis of applications from 29 states and the District of Columbia, all of which entered both rounds of the $4 billion federal grant contest.

Posted June 16, 2010 3:36 p.m.

States Squeeze Local Schools

State governments generally try to spare schools from budget cuts. But the recession hit tax revenue so hard that K-12 education is seeing sharp cutbacks in state funding. All major sources of state and local-government revenue—sales taxes, income taxes and property taxes—have fallen. Property taxes are the primary source of school funding, and home values have dropped sharply, particularly on the coasts. More taxpayers are appealing their property assessments to lower their bills.

Posted June 15, 2010 1:02 p.m.

USDE: List of States Making RTTT-Related Changes

Here's the list from the USDE to go along with the claim that 23 states have made changes to their laws to try and win RTTT funding.  Make of it what you will. 

Posted June 6, 2010 11:37 a.m.

States Up Ante on Applications for Race to Top

After 39 applicants went home losers from the first round of the Race to the Top competition, many states regrouped and raised the stakes for round two—changing laws to revamp teacher evaluations, drumming up more support from districts and teachers’ unions, and getting more aggressive about turning around low-performing schools.

Posted June 6, 2010 11:06 a.m.

Link to Race to the Top Phase 2 Applications

The Education Optimists blog provides direct links to all 36 RttT Phase 2 applications. So far, 26 and counting!

Posted June 2, 2010 9:35 a.m.

District 64 board reviews preliminary budget

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education reviewed a preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year during a meeting Monday night. The Federal Aviation Administration is paying for sound insulation at Roosevelt and Washington schools, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funding is paying for the improvement of a multipurpose room at Jefferson School.

Posted May 28, 2010 2:08 p.m.

Illinois gets $11.9M to track student progress

Plans in Illinois to create a statewide system that would track student progress got a boost Friday when the state received an $11.9 million federal stimulus grant to help fund the project. Illinois was one of 20 states nationally to receive the grant money, which was announced by the U.S. Department of Education. According to state and federal officials, once the systems are fully operational they will be able to track a student's progress from early childhood through elementary school, high school, college and career.

Posted May 24, 2010 5:29 p.m.

Some Minnesota educators breathing sigh of relief that state won't try again for Race to the Top funds

With Minnesota deciding not to submit a new application for $175 million in federal education funding, school superintendents from New Ulm to Eveleth can refocus on the increasingly gut-wrenching task of trying to figure out how to keep the lights on without Race to the Top stimulus funds. Yet even so, a few of them were probably exhaling after Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced this morning that the state will not try again for the coveted funding.

Posted May 24, 2010 2:36 p.m.

Union, Megan Fox want funds to stop mass teacher layoffs

WASHINGTON — Facing a recession and the coming end of billions of dollars in federal stimulus funding, school districts nationwide are handing teachers pink slips for the upcoming school year. The Obama administration estimates that as many as 300,000 teachers could lose their jobs unless Congress steps in with emergency money, Greg Toppo, of USA Today, reports.

Posted May 5, 2010 3:19 p.m.

Illinois loses out in first round of federal school stimulus funds

Suburban school districts' hopes for funding relief were dashed Monday when the U.S. Department of Education announced just two states netted stimulus dollars in the first round of the Race to the Top federal education competition. Delaware and Tennessee beat out 14 other states, including Illinois, named as finalists last month.

Posted March 30, 2010 10:22 a.m.

The next heat

From an editorial in The Chicago Tribune: In sum, lawmakers made education reform a bipartisan priority. It turns out the effort wasn't enough. But rather than become discouraged, lawmakers need to double down. Applications for the second round of Race to the Top money are due June 1. Winners will be announced in September.

Posted March 30, 2010 8:45 a.m.

More Changes Likely as Illinois Tries Again for Ed Funds

Illinois education leaders want to make the state more competitive in the next round of the federal Race to the Top contest. And that could mean further changes to education in the state.

Posted March 30, 2010 8:29 a.m.

Federal stimulus funds won't save District 186 jobs next year

The Springfield School District has started receiving nearly $15 million in federal economic stimulus funds. But most of the highly regulated money won’t help the district with its $8 million budget deficit or avert the need to eliminate 56 teaching positions and other proposed cuts next year.

Posted March 15, 2010 1:34 p.m.

Handicapping Illinois' bid

Tim Daly of the New Teacher Project and others assess the chances of Illinois and some competitors to win RttT grants.

Posted March 5, 2010 10:36 a.m.

New Book Challenges Obama Administration’s “Race to the Top”

Kenneth Saltman’s new book Capitalizing on Disaster, inspired by both Naomi Klein’s recent book Shock Doctrine (2007) and David Harvey’s A Brief History of Neoliberalism (2005), explores these interconnections in the struggle over public education and should give pause to those wondering what Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s “Race to the Top” project is all about.

Posted Feb. 28, 2010 6:31 p.m.

With Federal Stimulus Money Gone, Many Schools Face Budget Gaps

Federal stimulus money has helped avoid drastic cuts at public schools in most parts of the nation, at least so far. But with the federal money running out, many of the nation's schools are approaching what officials are calling a “funding cliff.

Posted Feb. 7, 2010 11:07 p.m.

Pressing for changes to charter school law

Advocates for Maryland's charter schools are gearing up for what they hope will be a watershed year for reform of the state's charter school law, as state officials plan to seek millions in federal funding contingent upon changes in education policies.

Posted Feb. 7, 2010 9:42 p.m.

Education system overhaul outlined

While Illinois residents are focused on election season and budget woes, the state's top education officials have quietly pushed through a sweeping agenda that will transform how students are tested, teachers are rated and failing schools are fixed. The changes, which will affect every school district from Amboy to Zion, are part of the state's effort to secure $500 million in federal grants under the Race to the Top initiative. To be eligible, states had to prove they're willing to revolutionize their education systems.

Posted Jan. 29, 2010 7:33 a.m.

Unions slammed for not supporting Race to the Top

When it comes to Race to the Top, the aim of the teachers' unions seems to be: water it down so there is no discernable challenge to the old way of doing things. An appropriate motto would be: "Send us the money, but don't expect change in return."

Posted Jan. 22, 2010 5:59 p.m.

23 States Post Applications Online

Here's an entirely unverified and completely ad hoc collection of the nearly 20 state RTTT applications that have been located online thanks to blog readers, Twitter friends, and education writers on the EWA listserv.

Posted Jan. 21, 2010 9:30 a.m.

Race to the Top: 41 Applications Submitted for Phase 1

40 states and the District of Columbia submitted applications to compete in Phase 1 of Race to the Top. Those 41 applicants are listed below. (Today was the deadline for submitting those applications.)

Posted Jan. 19, 2010 5:15 p.m.

Education Grant Effort Faces Late Opposition

The Obama administration’s main school improvement initiative has spurred education policy changes in states across the nation, but it is meeting with some last-minute resistance as the first deadline for applications arrives Tuesday. Still, about 40 states were rushing to complete applications for the Tuesday deadline, the first in the two-stage competition. The last-minute opposition is unlikely to derail efforts by most of those states to win some of the federal money.

Posted Jan. 18, 2010 10:04 p.m.

Stimulus to Reward States That Overhaul School Systems

Neil King Jr., of the Wall Street Journal, reported about the Race to the Top initiative and states fierce competition to grab some of the $4 billion geared to alter education practices across the country.

Posted Jan. 12, 2010 5:16 p.m.

Special Ed Funds Redirected

Cash-strapped school districts are exploiting a new federal provision that allows them to shift stimulus dollars targeted for special education to general use.

Posted Jan. 12, 2010 4:34 p.m.

Illinois investigates errors in ARRA funds used for school jobs

A watchdog report by the Chicago Tribune found that numbers in economic stimulus money used for school jobs didn't add up.

Posted Jan. 11, 2010 2:34 p.m.

Illinois data on stimulus-related jobs saved, created don’t add up

Districts say job numbers attributed to them inaccurate and the totals ignore Chicago.

Posted Jan. 11, 2010 2:31 p.m.

School Improvement Grant

Amount: $124,023,185

The stimulus fund provided an additional $3 billion to help turn around the lowest-performing schools with various school intervention models.

Awarded Dec. 3, 2009

Ed Tech

Amount: $26,497,894

The Ed Tech Grants program's goal is to ensure that every student is technologically literate by the end of 8th grade and to encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development. States may retain up to 5 percent of their allocations for state-level activities, and must award at least one half of the remainder competitively to eligible districts. The stimulus fund provided $650 million toward the grants.

Awarded July 24, 2009

State Stabilization Fund

Amount: $1,681,130,685

The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program is a one-time appropriation of $53.6 billion distributed directly to states to: help stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education and other essential public services; help ensure that school districts have the resources to avert cuts and retain educational personnel and staff; help support the modernization, renovation, and repair of schools.

Awarded April 17, 2009

State Stabilization Fund

Amount: $374,041,302

The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program is a one-time appropriation of $53.6 billion distributed directly to states to: help stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education and other essential public services; help ensure that school districts have the resources to avert cuts and retain educational personnel and staff; help support the modernization, renovation, and repair of schools.

Awarded April 17, 2009

Homeless Children and Youth

Amount: $2,581,569

The additional $70 million from the stimulus for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program more than doubled the dollars available to help districts meet the educational and other needs of homeless children and youth.

Awarded April 10, 2009

IDEA B

Amount: $506,479,753

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) comes in two parts. IDEA Part B provides funds to states, school districts, and charter schools to ensure that children with disabilities, including pre-schoolers ages 3 to 5, have access to a "free and appropriate" public education. The stimulus dollars targeted for IDEA Part B call for states to implement "innovative strategies" to improve outcomes for children and youths with disabilities while stimulating the economy. The ARRA funding provided $11.3 billion to states and another $400 million in preschool funding. "

Awarded April 1, 2009

Title I

Amount: $420,263,561

Title I, Part A, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) received $10 billion for schools with high concentrations of students from families who live in poverty. The guidelines call for educators to implement innovative strategies to improve teaching and learning and to close the achievement gap for at-risk students. The Education Department's website notes that the funding should enable schools to serve more students than the estimated 20 million previously covered by Title 1.

Awarded April 1, 2009