Board asks business office for analysis after uncertainty over Title grants and Medicaid reimbursements

Board members at the Riverhead Central School District meeting raised concerns about possible cuts or delays in state and federal funding and asked the business office to prepare an analysis of how those changes could affect district operations.

A board member asked the business office to prepare information on Title grants that the member said were “on hold,” noting the district is funded through the end of the summer but that the board should understand potential near-term impacts. The same speaker said the board had prepared a letter to the district’s U.S. representative to highlight the concern and that the superintendent would raise the issue with the regional Superintendents Association.

Board discussion also touched on Medicaid reimbursements for special-education costs. A board member said the district bills Medicaid for some special-education services and noted that Medicaid and IDEA funding have not fully covered costs; the remark referenced a current reimbursement level discussed in the meeting as approximately 10% and noted that some members of Congress have proposed increasing the share to about 40% (the board member attributed these figures to ongoing policy discussions, not to a district calculation presented at the meeting). The board member said that that gap shifts costs to local taxpayers because the district must continue to provide services even if external funding is reduced.

The board directed the business office to prepare a report for the board that outlines potential funding shortfalls and their operational impacts, including effects on special-education reimbursement and Title grant funding. No budget reductions, layoffs or program cuts were proposed or approved at the meeting; the request was for informational follow-up only.