SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Yesterday (Monday), California Recovery Task Force Director Rick Rice issued the following statement after over $156 million in education funds from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) were made available by the California Recovery Task Force to be immediately allocated to school districts:

“The Governor is committed to getting Recovery Act funds on the ground and working for Californians as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said California Recovery Task Force Director Rick Rice. “The money made available today by the California Recovery Task Force will have an immediate impact on California’s schools as we near the start of a new school year.”

Under Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership, California was the first state in the nation to be federally approved for the SFSF under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). California received over $3.1 billion from the SFSF in the spring of 2009, as well as an additional $1.3 billion in the fall of 2009. In January 2010, the Governor submitted the state’s application for the final 10 percent of the SFSF – $490 million in federal funding for California’s schools and universities.

Governor Schwarzenegger created the California Recovery Task Force to track the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding coming into the state; work with President Barack Obama’s administration; help cities, counties, non-profits, and others access the available funding; ensure that the funding funneled through the state is spent efficiently and effectively; and maintain a Web site (www.recovery.ca.gov) that is frequently and thoroughly updated for Californians to be able to track the stimulus dollars.