Federal grants confirmed; state’s adult-education cut forces Middletown to find $177,000

Middletown finance officials told the budget committee Sept. 15 that the district may apply for its usual federal grants this year — including IDEA and Title I, II and IV — but that a state decision on adult-education funding will require the district to provide additional local funds. Director of Finance Natalie Forbes said the state announced a one-off reduction in its contribution to adult education equal to 12.85 percent, creating an estimated gap of about $177,000 the district must cover. Forbes said the IDEA (special-education) grant and Titles I, II and IV have been confirmed for Middletown and that appropriations for those titles were slightly higher this year than the prior year. She said Title III funds were not yet publicly available for review. The committee was also updated on 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding (21c), which supports after‑school programs at Farm Hill, Beale Field and Snow School. Forbes said Snow and Beale Field are in the fifth year of a five-year grant cycle and their federal allocations are reduced by 50 percent; the district will use the Alliance Grant to make up the difference so program offerings can continue at prior levels. The nut graf: while federal grant notifications largely are positive, the unanticipated state reduction to the adult-education grant requires the district to identify cost reductions and alternative funding to meet a roughly $177,000 increase in required local contribution. Forbes said the adult-education director and district leaders are meeting immediately to identify mitigation strategies, including cost reductions already in progress. She told the committee the district is evaluating multiple approaches and has several meetings scheduled to resolve how to fulfill the increased local match. No formal votes were taken at the meeting. Forbes said the grants coordinator position remains open after two finalists declined offers due to compensation differences; the district plans to repost the job. Committee members asked for periodic updates as negotiations and mitigation steps continue.