The Pennsylvania Department of Education owes about $1 billion to numerous school districts for about 350 state-approved renovation and construction projects.
In 2011, the state cut reimbursement payments by $20 million to $296 million. Then the department put a moratorium on approving new projects for reimbursement by essentially shutting down the construction review process.
Public school officials want the money now, saying losing the state funds has caused them to dip into their own finances, lay off staff, or cut programs.
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Special Recognition: Kingswood School Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
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Education's Big Upgrade
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Burr Elementary School
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Bronze Award: Trenton Daylight/Twilight High School Trenton, N.J.
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New school designs don't go by the book
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Bronze Award: Lincoln High School Tacoma, Wash.
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Bronze Award: Hawthorne Elementary School, Elmhurst, Ill.
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