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House Stimulus Plan Benefits Local Schools

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By ADAM EMERSON and LINDSAY PETERSON

aemerson@tampatrib.com lpeterson@tampatrib.com

Published: February 3, 2009

TAMPA - The $819 billion stimulus plan approved by the House would pump hundreds of millions into local schools and colleges, reviving plans administrators put on hold as the economy soured.

If the package is approved as previously crafted, the Hillsborough County School District alone could gain $143 million in federal aid during the next two years.

Other local districts, along with the University of South Florida, stand to gain millions. Public universities statewide could get at least $306 million.

"These are dollars to move our schools into the 21st century," said Jeff Eakins, Hillsborough's director of federal programs.

School officials caution that the money comes in one-time installments from the federal government and can't plug a budget hole left by steep losses in state revenue. The school district still may have to save $27 million by June.

Even those cost savings could jeopardize Florida's share of the stimulus award. To get the money, the House proposal demands that states spend at least as much on education as they did in 2006. Senators vote on the measure this week.

Whatever strings are attached, the largesse could enhance the underpowered computer systems in Hillsborough schools and upgrade the roofs and cooling systems throughout the district.

A House committee has not broken down what individual Florida colleges would get, but USF has picked out three big projects that could benefit.

Topping the wish list is the long-planned Center for Advanced Medical Learning & Simulation. Students and doctors from around the world would come for training with state-of-the art medical simulation technology.

The plan includes a 53,000-square-foot conference center that would include lecture halls, a virtual hospital, a robotics lab, a simulation center and two operating suites for research and training. It would be wired to allow courses to be sent and received from anywhere in the world.

Next on the list is $12 million for USF Polytechnic in Lakeland, including money for a central utility plant at the new campus on Interstate 4.

Third is $45 million for a dual-purpose building in USF's research park. Half of that would be for the university's clean energy research program. The other half would be for biotech pharmaceutical and medical device research, with a goal of creating products for spinoff technology companies.

"We've been going through the list of things we've been working on, looking for projects that are ready to go and fit the definition of an economic stimulus," USF spokeswoman Vickie Chachere said. They "would create immediate jobs and would establish facilities that would create more jobs in the future."

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285. Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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