(Harrisburg) -- The state Education Department has tried to help the state’s lowest performing schools apply for grant funding.

Spokesman Tim Eller says 141 schools were eligible to receive school improvement money and 26 were awarded grants. "The secretary was a bit frustrated that there’s this money available to help low performing schools, either turn around their academic programs, bring on more resources, bring on different tools to help students achieve," Eller says.

Education Secretary Ron Tomalis blasted schools this week for not applying to grants for which they were eligible.

School directors protest the funding comes with strings attached and can cause more trouble than it's worth.

Eller says some grant applications were filed for frivolous pursuits - like iPads for students, or a school swimming pool.  Seven schools in Harrisburg and Lancaster are in line to receive a portion of some 66-million dollars in federal improvement grants.