But Gov. Ted Strickland's school-funding formula, released more than five weeks ago, says Trimble, one of the poorest districts in Ohio, will get a 2 percent funding cut ($136,000) over the next two years.

A new spreadsheet outlining stimulus money for every district in Ohio, released this week, produces some eye-catching numbers, especially for the poor, rural districts scheduled for funding cuts under Strickland's new "evidence-based" plan.

But this is not manna from heaven -- or Washington -- for Ohio schools.

Strickland's spokeswoman says the governor's formula already has accounted for the new $600,000 for Trimble -- even though the federal estimate for the Athens County district was only about $303,000 in late January, a few days before Strickland unveiled his funding plan.

The same is true for every district; not one is scheduled to get another dollar beyond what Strickland has already allocated, despite the $373 million announced Saturday in so-called federal Title I money to help educate Ohio's poor students.

"The resources will be distributed for Title I-allowable purposes, but they'll be passed through the state," said Amanda Wurst, spokeswoman for Strickland. "It's accounted for in the evidence-based model."

The situation has created questions among lawmakers, including Sen. Jimmy Stewart, who sent a letter this week to Strickland and state Superintendent Deborah Delisle. The Athens Republican asked specifically about the money for Trimble Local, which for weeks has been a kind of poster child for critics who say the governor's plan doesn't do enough for poor, rural districts.

"It's bad enough with the initial budget that the poorest district gets cut, but now the feds are going to give them $600,000 and the administration is going to give it to someone else," Stewart told The Dispatch. "That is a big, big deal for Trimble's budget."

Strickland is using more than $1 billion in one-time state and federal money to provide traditional public schools with $991 million in new money over two years.

Some wondered whether the federal government's release of Title I money in the next 45 days meant that the money would not be available for the next two-year budget. Wurst said the money is accessible starting next month but can be used during the next two years.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a release that funds will be distributed quickly to save jobs and improve education. "Strict reporting requirements will ensure that Americans know exactly how their money is being spent and how their schools are being improved."

Barbara Shaner of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials said yesterday that the organization has cautioned school treasurers not to count on receiving the federal stimulus money directly because it's unclear whether the state would have the discretion to use the funds.

"The (district) numbers have been out there, but we've told people not to count on the money until someone says it's coming," she said.

Dispatch reporter Catherine Candisky contributed to this story.

jsiegel@dispatch.com