As the first federal stimulus money began flowing to states last week, local school administrators across the nation were crunching numbers to determine just how much relief to expect. Even with the unprecedented federal investment in education under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act--a total of up to $100 billion for K-12 over two years--the continuing recession means many school leaders still face difficult choices. In some cases, superintendents said they have not received clear direction from state leaders about when the money will arrive, and have to prepare austerity budgets to meet state deadlines. Another issue, superintendents reported, is that a portion of the federal stimulus money must be used for specific purposes, such as funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is used for special education, and Title I, which is distributed to schools with large numbers of low-income students.