By Associated Press | Last modified Thursday, April 9, 2009 2:10 PM PDT
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is asking the federal government for nearly $5 billion in economic stimulus money for California schools.
The governor signed the state's application Thursday.
Schwarzenegger says he hopes the money will avoid further teacher layoffs and help schools that are struggling to absorb $8 billion in budget cuts.
About 26,000 California teachers were handed pink slips this spring after Schwarzenegger signed a state budget that made massive cuts to state programs and raised taxes to boost revenue.
The governor's office estimates schools could get about $3.1 billion after the application is approved, with another $1.8 billion to follow. Most of the money will go to K-12 schools, with about a fifth of the total dedicated for higher education.
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