Senator Brian A. Joyce and Representatives Walter F. Timilty, Linda Dorcena Forry and Angelo Scaccia recently announced that Milton will receive an additional $327,683 in funding for the public schools from the federal Education Jobs Fund.

The Education Jobs Fund was approved by Congress earlier this month. Massachusetts will receive $204 million in total to rehire tteachers recently laid off due to budget cuts.

These funds are in addition to the $250 million “Race to the Top” award Massachusetts received. Milton however, did not participate in that process because the teachers union declined to sign on (see related post here.) “Race to the Top” is a federal educational iniative in which the federal government is awarding funds to schools that have demonstrated a committment to improving education particularly in underperforming districts. Unions have balked at the program in part because it ties pay to perfromance. According to a state press release, “275 participating communities and schools represent 74 percent of K-12 students across the Commonwealth and 88 percent of the state’s low-income students.” signed on the Massachusetts effort. You can find the release here.

The job funds were distributed according to the same formula used to determine the distribution of state aid. Funds can be used to rejire teachers or be set aside for future use.