RSU 40 committee recommends conceptual ESEA plan; proposes moving homeless coordinator into Title I and adding half‑time library literacy role

RSU 40/MSAD 40 committee members recommended a conceptual Elementary and Secondary Education Act spending plan and discussed using Title I funds to cover the district McKinney‑Vento coordinator and to create a half‑time library literacy specialist for Miller and Warren schools.

Tom, a staff presenter, told committee members the district still has not received next year’s ESEA allocation from the U.S. Department of Education and said, “we still have no allocation from DOE.” He summarized the district’s planning approach: assume Title I will be roughly level and prepare for reductions in other places so the district is not forced into deeper cuts later.

The discussion centered on two funding pressures. Presenter figures show the district’s current Title I spending this year at about $752,786.60 and a planning scenario that would reduce Title I spending next year by roughly $170,000 if some positions are eliminated. Separately, the district’s Title V (rural schools) allocation was reported as likely to drop to roughly $9,400 next year, which, if correct, would leave several items currently paid from Title V without those funds.

Tom outlined a proposal to use available Title I funds to: keep the McKinney‑Vento homeless coordinator (Nancy Stover) paid through federal Title I rather than the district contingency/reserve fund; and create a half‑time library literacy specialist shared between Miller and Warren to support family engagement, curated library resources tied to literacy screening data (DIBELS), and targeted small‑group work during scheduled library time. He estimated the McKinney‑Vento coordinator position at about $70,000 and a half‑time library specialist at roughly $65,000, while noting exact pay would depend on placement on the district pay scale.

Committee members pressed on sustainability and contingency planning. One member warned that federal guidance and allocations are unreliable and said the district should retain the option to use the reserve fund if final Title allocations do not materialize. Tom confirmed the committee had previously created a contingency fund and that, if Title funding is not available, the district would use that reserve fund to keep essential positions running while it revisits reductions.

The committee discussed the rules governing Title funds, including the McKinney‑Vento requirement that districts set aside a portion of Title I for homeless students and that any student identified as McKinney‑Vento automatically qualifies for Title I services. Tom said districts commonly set only token amounts aside for McKinney‑Vento, but noted the district has historically used the set‑aside to fund district‑wide work such as transportation, a van driver, supplies and a part‑time coordinator.

On procedure, the presenter said the ESEA plan must be presented publicly and allow time for community input before the board adopts final goals. A committee motion to “accept the conceptual plan for the ESEA goals as presented and move forward as circumstances permit” was made by Ben and seconded by Naomi. The committee recorded the motion and voted unanimously to recommend the conceptual plan to the full board.

Committee members did not create the new position immediately; presenters said a board vote would be required to create any new staffing and that hiring would wait until the district has final numbers from the Department of Education. Tom said that if Title funds arrive as hoped, the district would advertise and hire the library position and not tap the contingency fund; if not, the reserve fund would backstop essential services.

The committee also discussed specific Title V budget lines currently covered: roughly $20,000 for curriculum software, about $17,000 for substitute coverage for curriculum meetings, roughly $70,000 for the McKinney‑Vento coordinator (half time), roughly $6,000 for a 0.1 art teacher allocation, and about $47,000 in literacy curriculum materials and training. Transportation beyond the coordinator’s salary was cited at about $20,000.

The recommendation is a conceptual endorsement to move forward with ESEA goals that could use Title I and Title V funds as federal allocations permit, with explicit fallback to the district contingency fund if federal funding does not arrive.