Washington - Congressman Bill Shuster has sent a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell urging him to take immediate action to save the Scotland School for Veterans Children in Franklin County with funding from the federal stimulus package.

The Scotland School closed earlier this year due to state budget shortfalls.

Shuster said the U.S. Department of Education on Monday announced that $1.4 billion has recently been made available to Pennsylvania under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It was also announced that Pennsylvania will be eligible to apply for another $514 million in education funding later this fall.

Shuster said his letter points out that the goal of the education title in the ARRA was to prevent funding cuts to education and job losses like those experienced at Scotland School. He said the new funding could potentially be used as the means by which Rendell can act to reopen the 113-year-old school.

Nearly 300 students were enrolled at Scotland School before leaving the campus on June 30. Eighty percent came from Philadelphia. All tuition had been paid by the state.

The school provided about 134 full-time jobs.

 Email To Friend