LOWELL | While pleased to be getting federal stimulus funds for Title I and special education programs, one school system leader questions the wisdom of a two-year boost that likely will not carry into a third year.

Like most area districts, stimulus dollars in the Tri-Creek School Corp. will go primarily to fund aides/interventionists to improve instruction to Title I students.

Tri-Creek Superintendent Alice Neal said she already knows that there will not be money available to continue the aide/interventionist positions after the two federally funded years.

"It's the starfish philosphy," Neal said. "You save the ones you can."

She cited the classic story of an old man observing a young boy on the beach tossing starfish after starfish back into the ocean. When the man tells him that he cannot save them all and many starfish will die on the shore, the boy tosses another into the ocean and remarks that it will not be that one.

Tri-Creek is expected to receive $210,840 in stimulus money for Title I programs.

Neal hopes fewer students will be designated for special education, allowing more stimulus money to fund the interventionists focused on students with learning impediments and reading difficulties.

"We anticipate this will be analyzed and analyzed. If there's not a huge impact, and that would be hard to do in two years, it will be OK," Neal said. "It will say that money doesn't really make a difference."

However, should the analysis show a positive impact on education from the stimulus funding, it likely will signal an increase in using money to effect desired results, Neal said.