While road and bridge projects using federal economic stimulus money already are under way, local school districts have not yet received a dime of stimulus money expected to total more than $2.6 billion in Pennsylvania.

The reason is federal highway money does not have to go through the state Legislature, but federal education money does, said state Education Department spokesman Michael Race.

The state Legislature has not approved the state budget for 2009-10 -- it's not even close -- nor has it passed a bill that would permit any of the federal money to flow in the interim.

Pennsylvania is behind 22 other states that already have been approved to receive the largest source of economic stimulus money for education, the fiscal stabilization fund, and a July 1 deadline to apply for the money is looming.

Read more.