Carlisle schools will see a drop in state aid of 1 percent the first year of the budget and 2 percent the second, according to state figures, which still must be signed by Gov. Ted Strickland. Strickland has been forced to reduce library funds and now school funds.

The kicker is that the stimulus money that schools will begin to see can not offset or be used in compensating for the loss of state aid. Jerry Ellender, School Treasurer had some significant quotes in the Middletown Journal about the current state funding.

“You’re not allowed to just supplant your expenses with that money. You’re supposed to spend that on new programs,” said Carlisle Local Schools Treasurer Jerry Ellender.

This will really cause Carlisle's whole accounting of these funds to be a struggle and major change to try to figure out where and how to use the stimulus money. It will put a pinch on how to start new programs with money that will run out and the lack of money from the state to sustain the new programs.

“It’s difficult to create a program and add teachers that you may have to turn around and then lay off again in two years,” Ellender said.

This is something of great significance for our schools and will be interesting to see how and what Carlisle will do first with the stimulus money and how they will handle the lack of state aid the next two years.