This story is part of a nationwide Patch series probing the economy's effect on local schools. School districts across the country have been feeling the crunch of the down economy and have had to adjust their budgets accordingly. Many schools have been forced to cut vital programs, while others are getting by with extra federal funding. The issue has become a heated political war in recent months. Democrats in Congress recently passed legislation providing billions of dollars in funding to schools nationwide, but Republicans almost unanimously opposed it. Now the two candidates for …