Governor Schwarzenegger says California is one of the first states to get in line for the money. 

"We are applying as quickly as possible also to create action as quickly as possible.”

The Governor applied for close to five billion dollars for schools.  His office says if the government approves the application, just over three billion of that could come soon – with another two billion coming in the fall.  Schwarzenegger says the state’s recent budget cuts to education make this federal money critical:

"It will help our kids, because we always said the children should have the first run at our treasury.”

Schwarzenegger says the money may help schools keep on some of the 26-thousand teachers received pink slips in March.