TALLAHASSEE -- Florida lawmakers are relying on $2 billion in federal stimulus money to shore up their education budgets, but the state has not even sent in its application.

The federal government is waiting. And so are some lawmakers.

On Wednesday, Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith said the state has ''strategically waited'' to get all the right information, although the application ``is ready to go, it's complete.''

But Smith said he's waiting for guidance concerning a waiver application for the federal money. The waiver is needed because Florida is one of a handful of states to underfund education in recent years.

Smith's strategy is coming under fire as the legislative session winds down May 1. That's the same day Smith now expects to get the waiver guidance, which he says his office has been waiting on for weeks.

The state and federal education departments stopped short of mutual finger-pointing, with Smith saying the feds keep postponing release of the waiver information, and the U.S. Department of Education saying Florida shouldn't be waiting on anything.

''They have absolutely everything they need to complete the application,'' said Sandra Abrevaya, deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Education.

She added later that ''the information that is forthcoming is not necessary'' in completing the application.

But Smith said there's ``no race to get this application in; it's just really important to get it right.''

Smith said the decision on submitting the application ultimately rests with Gov. Charlie Crist. Asked about the application, Crist told reporters the decision rests with Smith. A number of states have already received their federal stimulus dollars: California, Illinois and South Dakota.

PENDING PAPER

Applications from Maine, Utah, Mississippi, Minnesota and Oregon are pending.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, has implored state officials to file as soon as possible. On Monday, he met with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and says Duncan and his aides have not seen anything from Florida in writing.

`FRUSTRATION'

''There was a level of frustration,'' Meek said. ``The application should have been in yesterday -- that's the attitude they had.''

State lawmakers have been working on their budgets all along with the expectation that the stimulus money is a solid gamble, and realizing they might just end the session without knowing for sure.

''We're betting on whether or not it's going to get here and we're going to be in deep trouble if it doesn't come,'' said Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, chairman of the Senate PreK-12 Appropriations Committee.

Herald staff writer Kathleen McGrory contributed to this report.