Those who are expecting President Obama to fly over in a helicopter and scatter thousand dollar bills over the landscape may not be too far from wrong.

Stragetic Partnerships, Inc. an Austin based research and procurement consulting firm reports that public school districts in Willacy County can expect to have $7.4 million in economic stimulus money to spend over the coming two years.

The funds are part of an $825 billion economic stimulous package curently being debated in Congress. Republicans want to use the money to cut taxes for workers who earn the money while the president believes the funds can be better spent by the government to build infrastructure like roads and bridges.

Because Democrats hold the majority in both houses of the Congress it is likely that the president's view will prevail. In any case this money does not exist and must be borrowed from other countries like China and Japan.

In Willacy County the Raymondville ISD is expected to get $4.2 million; Lyford CISD $1.9 million; Lasara ISD $745,000 and San Perlita ISD $506,000.

Raymondville ISD superintendent Johnny Pineda said Tuesday by telephone from Austin that his district will likely get $2 million each year for the next two years.

Several meetings at Region One in Edinburg have already been held to discuss what to do with the windfall funds from Uncle Sam.

Pineda said, "I am not quite sure what strings will be attached but because they are federal funds some guidelines can be expected."

He suggested that Raymondville ISD priorities might include replacing local funds committed to the construction of the new Myra Green Middle School, with ground breaking in February.

Other uses for the money may include new technology to enhance security of students at the city's elementary schools equipping the RISD science labs with the latest equipment and the purchase of new school buses to replace some of the older one in the district's fleet.

The Lyford CISD Superintendent Eduardo Infante was also in Austin for a meeting and we were unable to reach him concerning his plans to spend $2 million in new money.