GAO Provides Snapshot of State Recovery Act Education Spending

Washington, July 13 — A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) snapshot of stimulus spending in 16 states and the District of Columbia confirms that funding is primarily being used to reduce layoffs and offset budget cuts in K-12, higher education and other government services.

The report was released nine days after the July 1 deadline was met by all states to apply for nearly $40 billion in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF) meant to shore up budgets in education and other government services, such as safety and health care, during the recession.