Texas scheduled to get billions for technology, construction - bizjournals:

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Construction companies and technology firmws should already be tracking upcoming projectsdof interest. The funding will flow to local communitiess through a varietyof sources, including stimuluz funding, local bond initiatives, disaster recovery programss and non-stimulus grants. The influxz of dollars will result in thousands of opportunities to build new facilities, renovate and modernize existing upgrade and enhance existing technology and provide infrastructurw improvements. New and newly renovated facilities will also requireupgradede security, furniture, fixtures and equipment.
Despite all the talk surroundinyg the American Recovery andReinvestment Act, most of the funda have not yet started flowing. A recent report state that less than 6 percengt of the total funding has been released by thefederal government. Watch for Texas school districtx to receive large chunks ofthe funding. Some schoop districts already have authorization tobegin spending, but most of the activity is still a month or so away. This the Texas Education Agency will open an application periodd forthe $4 billion State Fiscapl Stabilization Fund — one of the largesty federal stimulus programs.
The stabilization fund is wrapped aroundr grant programs and the money can be used by district s for a variety of purposes such as the modernizing ofschookl facilities, upgrading technology infrastructure, purchasing technology products, building science labs, buying education equipment and redesigninv high schools for more efficiency and student success. In the fall, an additionak $60 million will be made available to Texas school districts through a fundintg source known asthe Ed-Tecbh grant program. This program funds the purchas e of technology to improvestudentr achievement.
Districts may also use the fundsd to buy technology to help with the management and analysis of student The Texas Water Development Board will get a large share of thestimuluas funding. Because of that, the agency has receiveed $10.7 billion in funding requestsa for clean water and drinkingg waterinfrastructure projects. Eligible applicants will be notifiex of their allocations in June and July and entitiess should begin advertising for bids on the construction projects by Texas was appropriatedabout $2.6 billion in stimulus fundzs for transportation projects. Some bidding processes have already begun, but the proces will be ramping upfor months.
Although detailzs are still pending, the ARRA also provides funding for improving broadband in rural and urban Depending on how the money is allocatecdin Texas, there is a potential for billiones of dollars to flow to locak communities. And, in spite of the weak economy, Texaxs voters approved more than $1.3 billion in locak bond elections onMay 9. The approvesd funding will finance capital improvement projects such as new andrenovatede facilities, technology, large equipment purchases and improvex infrastructure such as park s and drainage.
• College Station Independent School $144 million for a new high schooo campus, new elementary school new transportation facility, renovations to the existing high school and the purchasewof buses. • Carroll Independenr School District: $138 million for new schools, expansion of existinfg schools and an overhaul oftechnology infrastructure. • City of Plano: $128.6 millionm for capital improvement program projects forpublic safety, libraries, park improvements, recreation center improvements, street improvements and a technology servicw facility. • Allen Independentg School District: $119.
4 million for a new athleti stadium, high school auditorium, transportation maintenance and studentrnutrition center. • Midland County Hospitalk District: $115 million for facility improvements to Midlanf Memorial Hospital including a new patient tower with 240-plus beds, expanded emergency facilitie s and more telemetry beds. Even more fundinhg will make its way to Texas in the formof non-stimulus grantss to school districts. A bill approves earlier this month bythe U.S. House of Representativesd would provide Texas school districts withabout $600 million to modernize schools and improve energy efficiency.
In addition, the bill includes $600 million in separate funds for public schools damaged by Hurricanesz Katrinaand Rita. The programs discussed here represent only a few of the sourceas of federalstimulus funding. Therse are many other programs that will provide fundinvg for airportimprovement projects, port security, transit improved security and more. Government contractors should be lovingv life in Texasthese days.