Belmont Schools Receive $332K Increase in State Aid

The Belmont School District will see its portion of Massachusetts education funding increase by $331,641 as it receives its slice of the state's portion of the recently passed $26 billion federal Education Jobs Fund legislation.

Gov. Deval Patrick announced the release of the $204 million to school districts statewide Wednesday, Aug. 25, at a school in New Bedford. 

The announcement comes a day after the state received $250 million in federal funds from the federal "Race to the Top" program.

Belmont educates nearly 4,000 students.

Belmont received $5,649,982 in June for the coming year in state and federal aid, a drop from the fiscal 2010 state package of $5,885,398. 

The Jobs Education funds in addition to an increase in Chapter 70 state funding and the inclusion of federal stimulus money will increase Belmont's share to nearly $6 million in state funding, to $5,981,623 at the end of August.

"Great schools are the key to our future, and great teachers are the key to great schools," said Patrick at the annoucement.

"With this significant infusion of funds, we are building a better, stronger future for our kids, our communities and our Commonwealth," he added.