Federal funding expected to aid Eldorado schools
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The nation's Jobs Bill which provides federal stimulus money to states to help save the jobs of teachers, police officers and other public servants will likely be of benefit to Eldorado's school district.
The board hired back several teachers and aids during an Aug. 5 meeting and there could be more hires of aides on the way.
"There is no definite figure, but it looks like our district, as most other districts, will receive some funds," Siebert said.
"It will probably be half of what Harrisburg receives."
The board hired back teacher Mallory May during Thursday's meeting, a teacher in the early childhood program. Early childhood's state funding is in a state of flux. The state board has provided in writing a promise to the district to fund the program at the same amount it did last year. The trouble is the state has not paid all it was supposed to pay last year. Siebert said the remaining money is supposed to arrive by December which casts suspicion on whether this year's funding will arrive this fiscal year.
Siebert said state transportation funding for this year is predicted to be a 42 percent less than last year, down from $267,000 to $155,000, a major strain on the district.
"I don't know how we can hold school in Eldorado without running the buses, but of all places to make cuts that will probably hurt us the most. They're saying we'll be lucky if we get one more payment this year and it's supposed to be four," Siebert said.
The district honored freshman Rachel Shea who won the National Garden Club's regional poetry competition.
Her English teacher Kara Lloyd told the class last year the students would see Shea's name in print one day.
"I didn't know it would be next month," Lloyd said.
Her poem won first place in the National Garden Club's eight state central region in the eighth grade division and it is featured in the summer edition of the club's "Garden Glories" magazine, according to Eldorado Garden Study Club President Liz Garrett. Garrett said she would provide a copy to the school's library.
"We're very, very proud of her. She is a fantastic student and you can see her love of the world and nature," Garrett said.
Shea read her poem to the board and Lloyd gave her a plaque.
The board hired Scott Boyd as freshman football coach and Joel Lanza as an assistant football coach.
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DeNeal receives e-mail at mailto:bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>
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