/ Source: The Associated Press
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is telling school districts it might be smarter to save their federal stimulus money for next year rather than spending it all this year.
Barbour said in a news release Thursday that he's applying for $98 million in federal stimulus money. That's Mississippi's share of education funding from a $26.1 billion jobs package recently passed by Congress.
Barbour sent a letter to school superintendents reminding them the federal money can only be used to hire or rehire employees.
The latest stimulus plan also includes about $130 million for Medicaid in Mississippi. Barbour and a bipartisan group of legislative leaders have agreed to save that for the fiscal year that starts next July 1.