Louisiana is not listed with the states that have applied for a $48.6 billion stimulus fund specifically for K-12 and higher education at the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site. But according to state Department of Education officials, Governor Bobby Jindal will apply for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. “The state of Louisiana is applying for that fund,” said Louisiana Department of Education spokeswoman René Greer. “We will meet that deadline.” The U.S. Department of Education announced April 1 that the first $32.6 billion from the fund would be available for each state whose governor applied for the money by July 1. The letter outlined $26.6 billion of the funds was exclusive for K-12 and higher education, and the other $6 billion could be used for education or public safety. The money can be spent during the next two years on education from early childhood to college and includes programs for children with disabilities and low-income students, according to the Department’s Web site. The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a news release May 18 urging governors to apply for the funding after only 13 states were awarded about $13 billion.  “We have an urgent need to reform our schools and prevent teacher layoffs,” Duncan said in the news release. Three weeks before the deadline, 26 states have applied for the stimulus funding. Each state that receives federal money has to report updates to the Department of Education including for teacher effectiveness in the schools, public information that is available regarding student performance compared to other states and identify the schools most in need of academic intervention.—-Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]