Susquehanna Township School District received an extra $1,286,188 in ARRA – Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 808 students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch due to low family income in 2008. The funding was limited to the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. Due to the temporary nature of the funding, schools were repeatedly advised by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee, the Governor and the Pennsylvania School Board Association, to use the funds for one-time expenditures like acquiring equipment, making repairs to buildings, training teachers to provide more effective instruction or purchasing books and software.