LEWISTON — The Gov. James B. Longley Elementary School and six other Maine schools with persistent low test scores have received final approval for federal grant money for improvements.

The amount that each school will receive is scheduled to be released next week. How much is important because it will dictate how much reform can be done, educators said.

Lewiston Superintendent Leon Levesque had little to say Tuesday, explaining that he is “waiting to receive confirmation” from the state. “We’ve applied for the maximum, which is $2 million a year for three years.”

Improving student test scores is especially a challenge at Longley, a school that historically has the city’s poorest students. Currently, 96 percent of Longley students live in poverty. Many start school already behind students their same age. Additionally, 62 percent are immigrant students learning to speak English.

Another issue is mobility. Too many Longley families frequently move, meaning teachers start out making gains, but students come and go as families move. One more telling sign is Longley has no parent–teacher organization.

“We can’t get parents to come in,” school Secretary Pauline Valliere said in May.

On Monday the Maine Department of Education announced seven schools received final approval for “a major infusion” of money, which will range from $700,000 to $3.4 million. The grant money is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from the U.S. Department of Education.

Besides Longley, the seven schools are Livermore Falls High School, Riverton Elementary in Portland, Sumner Memorial High School in Sullivan, Carrabec High School in North Anson, Deer Isle-Stonington High School in Deer Isle and Lake Region High School in Naples.

Last week Regional School Unit 36 Superintendent Sue Pratt told the school board that the Livermore Falls High School had been awarded $1.2 million; the district had applied for $1.4 million.

The seven schools are from a group of 10 identified as eligible. Three schools did not apply for the grant money.

Most of the school improvement money will be spent on professional development, before- and after-school programs, summer school programs and other initiatives aimed at making significant improvement in student learning, said David Connerty-Marin of the Maine Department of Education. The money can be used for up to three years.

The changes at Longley mean half of the schoolteachers and the principal are leaving, most reassigned to other schools. The new Longley principal is Linda St. Andre, who last year was the Farwell Elementary School principal. Longley Principal Tom Hood will become principal of McMahon.

At the next Lewiston School Committee meeting July 19, St. Andre will update committee members about Longley improvement plans, Levesque said.