During the next few weeks, more than $11 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) checks will be making their way into East County school district coffers. And while local officials agree that the stimulus dollars are welcome in a year marred by budget cuts and pink slips, how those funds will be spent depends upon a number of factors.

“It’s nice to have that positive news, absolutely, especially with all the negative news this year,” said Brentwood Union School District Superintendent Merrill Grant, whose district is slated to receive $2,077,897. “But it’s something that everyone is being cautious with. We’re going to have to analyze and examine some items before we make any decisions.”

Under the guidelines of the SFSF, which are part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), local education agencies are required to spend the one-time dollars on promoting and enhancing school programs and saving jobs. Taken in that vein, it would seem logical that the dollars would be used to reinstate teachers recently laid off as the result of state education cuts.

However, with a state budget to be finalized in June, and a series of May special election measures on the ballot (designed to narrow a reported $42 million funding gap), the obvious choices are not so clear. Should the ballot measures fail – and current indicators are leaning in that direction – then revisions to the state budget will likely include additional cuts.

So how to best contemplate decisions in anticipation of those factors, said Liberty Union High School District Superintendent Dan Smith, has become a challenge.

“In regard to the stimulus dollars, we are looking at three things,” said Smith, whose district is expected to receive $2,033,209. “One, we want to find out about the conditions of the money; we want to understand that fully. Two, we need to see what happens with the May special elections. And three, we need to see what happens with the governor’s budget in June. When we have those three pieces, we’ll meet with the board, share information and present our recommendations to the board for a decision.”

Knightsen Union School District has faced its share of financial challenges this year, including the possible closure of its new Old River School and discussions of a merger with the Brentwood Union School District. For Knightsen superintendent Vickey Rinehart, there is little question where she would like to see the district’s $141,368 dollars go.

“Well, of course, we want to put the money toward saving jobs,” said Rinehart, “but it does depend upon several things. If the propositions fail, there will be more cuts to the budget and then the money will have to be used make up for additional cuts, which would put us further behind. But if some or all of the propositions pass, then there will be less budget cuts and then we can save at least one teacher. But I don’t want to assume what the (school) board will choose to do. For now, we’re just continuing to keep an eye on our budget.”

Rick Rogers, superintendent of the Oakley Union Elementary School District, says the more than $1 million in stimulus funds his district will receive are certainly welcome, but added that careful investment and prudence will be key to the district’s long-term success.

“Yes, we’re happy to have it (stimulus funds),” he said. “But we need to be thoughtful and use it wisely, which is challenging because it is one-time money. Certainly it will have a major impact on what we can do with programs and that’s basically synonymous with positions, but how many and what those positions look like is what is yet to be determined.”

Denise Porterfield of the Antioch Unified School District said the school board is waiting for the results of the upcoming election and revisions on the state budget before making any plans for the more than $5 million the district will receive.

“We haven’t had that discussion yet in terms of spending the recovery dollars,” she said. “We’re holding off on making any decisions until the budget and elections are decided.”

The Byron Union School District will receive $422,538 in SFSF funding. Superintendent Eric Prater was unavailable for comment at press time.