Maine hasn’t used $750,000 in federal aid that it was awarded for schools in 2002.

So the federal government has taken that money back.

Maine was appropriated $105 million for schools in 2002. That money was earmarked by the federal government to pay for special education, adult education and other programs. As part of its 2002 funds, Maine recieved $2.6 million for Reading First, a program designed to boost reading skills in young children and special education students.

It only spent $1.9 million.

“It has a lot to do with timing, I understand it. It has a lot to do with the length and complexity of the application,” said Greg Scott, spokesman for the Maine Department of Education.

States have 27 months to spend their money once it’s granted.

Although the federal government appropriated the Reading First funds in 2002, Scott said, Maine didn’t receive its money until a year later. It then had 15 months to find eligible school systems, go through the applications and award the money.

“We were in a tough position, being awarded late and then trying to gear up and get the schools the information they needed,” said LeeAnn Larsen, who helped oversee the Reading First grant for the state.

Fifty-seven school systems were eligible for Reading First funds. Some school systems didn’t apply because the application was too complicated, state officials said. Others didn’t want to deal with the additional student assessments and other requirements if they got the grant.

Eleven school systems applied, but two didn’t complete the process and two pulled out when they learned they would have to rewrite part of their application.

Seven school systems got money. As was allowed, the state also used 20 percent of the federal funds for professional development across the state.

But $750,000 was left over. Those funds expired Sept. 30.

It isn’t unusual for a state to give back federal funds. In January, the U.S. Department of Education lambasted states because they failed to spend $5.75 billion in federal school aid granted in 2000 and 2002. At the time, a top U.S. Department of Education official said states should stop complaining about a lack of federal funds when they couldn’t spend what they already had.

Maine officials said the money they get from the federal government is often strictly controlled and very restrictive. Although Maine didn’t use all of its Reading First money, they maintain the state still needs more money for other education programs.

State officials believe Maine is on track to use all of its funds for 2003 and 2004.