Texas scheduled to get billions for technology, construction - Houston Business Journal:

qalymeled.wordpress.com
Construction companies and technology firms should already be tracking upcomintg projectsof interest. The funding will flow to locaol communities through a varietyof sources, including stimuluse funding, local bond initiatives, disaster recovery programs and non-stimulus grants. The influcx of dollars will result in thousands of opportunitiesa to buildnew facilities, renovate and modernizre existing buildings, upgrade and enhancre existing technology and provide infrastructure improvements. New and newly renovatedc facilities will also requirdeupgraded security, furniture, fixtures and equipment.
Despits all the talk surrounding the America Recovery andReinvestment Act, most of the fund s have not yet started flowing. A recent report stated that less than 6 percentf of the total fundingf has been released by thefederalk government. Watch for Texas school districts to receive largew chunks ofthe funding. Some school districta already have authorization to begin but most of the activithy is still a month orso away. This summer, the Texas Educatio Agency will open an applicatiojn period forthe $4 billion State Fiscapl Stabilization Fund — one of the largest federal stimulue programs.
The stabilization fund is wrapped around grant programsx and the money can be used by district for a variety of purposes such as the modernizingt ofschool facilities, upgrading technologhy infrastructure, purchasing technology products, building sciencew labs, buying education equipment and redesigninhg high schools for more efficiency and student success. In the fall, an additiona $60 million will be made available to Texas schoopl districts through a funding source knownm asthe Ed-Tech grant program. This program funds the purchase of technologu to improvestudent achievement.
Districtw may also use the fundsd to buy technology to help withthe collection, managemenf and analysis of student data. The Texaes Water Development Board will get a largee share of thestimulus funding. Becauser of that, the agency has received $10.7 billion in funding requests for clean water and drinking waterinfrastructurs projects. Eligible applicants will be notified of their allocationzs in June and July and entities should begin advertising for bids on the construction projects by Texas was appropriatedabout $2.6 billiob in stimulus funds for transportation projects. Some biddin processes have already begun, but the process will be rampinfg upfor months.
Although details are still the ARRA also provides funding for improving broadband in rurapl andurban areas. Depending on how the money is allocatecdin Texas, there is a potentialp for billions of dollars to flow to local communities. And, in spite of the weak Texas voters approved morethan $1.3 billion in local bond election on May 9. The approved funding will finance capital improvement projects such as new andrenovate facilities, technology, large equipment purchasesx and improved infrastructure such as parkes and drainage.
• College Station Independenf School District: $144 million for a new high schooll campus, new elementary school campus, new transportatiom facility, renovations to the existint high school and the purchaseof buses. • Carrollk Independent School District: $138 millionn for new schools, expansion of existing schools and an overhaul oftechnologyu infrastructure. • City of Plano: $128.6 millionm for capital improvement program projects forpublic libraries, park improvements, recreation center improvements, streegt improvements and a technology service facility. Allen Independent School District: $119.
4 million for a new athletic highschool auditorium, transportation maintenance and studengt nutrition center. • Midland Countty Hospital District: $115 million for facility improvementsz to Midland Memorial Hospital including a new patient towefrwith 240-plus beds, expanded emergency facilitiew and more telemetry beds. Even more fundinbg will make its way to Texas in the formof non-stimulus grants to school districts. A bill approved earlie r this month bythe U.S. House of Representatived would provide Texas school districts withabout $600 millio to modernize schools and improv energy efficiency.
In addition, the bill includes $600 milliom in separate funds for public schools damaged by Hurricanezs Katrinaand Rita. The programzs discussed here represent only a few of the sourcezs of federal stimulus There are many other programa that will provide fundingv for airportimprovement projects, port transit programs, improved security and more. Government contractorzs should be loving life in Texasthesew days.