As federal stimulus money makes its way into states, counties, towns, homes and schools, Tombstone Unified School District will be sharing in the wealth.

The district will receive $221,000 through Title I grant money and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a federal stimulus program signed by President Obama in February, said Tombstone Unified School District Superintendent Karl Uterhardt.

With unfinished sports facilities at the new high school, an increase in new students and a $200,000 budget deficit, TUSD is welcoming these federal funds with open arms. But there is a catch.

Title I is the largest federally funded education program that provides money to schools and districts with a high rate of poverty in an effort to help the schools meet local and national educational goals.

With this Title I money comes strict guidelines on what the money can and cannot be used for.

“It [Title I funding] has these hooks into it, so we can’t say we are going to use it for this, or use it for that. There are only certain things we can use the money for,” Uterhardt said.

So what will this money be used for? A bulk of the funds will go toward teachers’ salaries and supplies for students, Uterhardt said.

The grant money will fund a credit recovery program within Tombstone High School, and reading programs at both Walter J. Meyer and Huachuca City Elementary Schools, he said.

Currently 25 THS juniors and seniors are enrolled in the Ed Options program, an Internet based initiative that is aimed at helping students who have not met graduation requirements, make up credits and get back on the four year graduation track, said Robert Devere, THS principal.

“It [Ed Options] should help greatly with our dropout rate,” Devere said. “It helps some of those students who, for reasons beyond their control, are stuck in a situation where they can’t graduate.”

All core-curriculum classes such as math, science, English and social studies are offered online, he said.

“This is a one time shot, it’s not like this is going to be happening every year,” Uterhardt said. “In fact the money that we have right now is all the money we are going to get.”