Flathead County's public schools will receive nearly $1.7 million in stimulus money for maintenance- and energy-related projects.

The money, part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will be awarded to school districts according to a pre-existing formula. The state Department of Commerce will distribute the money.

Schools already receive money for the number of "quality educators' in the district - those with valid certificates in full-time positions that require teaching licenses.

The stimulus money, a deferred maintenance and energy improvement grant, will be distributed according to the same formula.

In return, districts will be required to report monthly on how the money has been spent, Department of Commerce program manager Joslyn Hunt said.

For the rest of this story, see the print edition of today's Inter Lake.