Virginia Department of Education budget staff presented an update on investments and operational changes affecting K–12 finance and grant management.

Miss (first name not specified) Berta, presenting for the department’s budget and finance office, summarized state investments since fiscal 2023: presenters cited approximately $1.8 billion for school construction through programs including the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP), Literary Fund loans, and state school construction grants. Berta said the Board of Education had updated SCAP guidelines to include regional CTE centers and that additional revisions were being drafted to increase flexibility for innovative construction projects. She also summarized roughly $10.2 billion in direct aid investments for students since FY2023, with targeted increases for at‑risk funding (including PIR), English language learner funding, special education add‑on allocations for FY2026, and compensation supplements for state‑funded positions.

On federal funds and grant operations, Berta discussed Title funding sources (Title I–IV, Perkins CTE, ESSER-related tracking), blending and braiding federal/state/local funds, and the department’s work to help divisions monitor burn rates via the Omega grant management system. She said the department is exploring Ed‑Flex waivers (carryover authority was cited as a commonly used flexibility in other states) and is centralizing grant operations to align competitive grants with board priorities and maximize federal and state funds. VDOE plans additional training (coordinator academies, lunch‑and‑learn sessions, Omega support) and office hours for division staff; Berta said the department had begun a lunch‑and‑learn series with about 150 participants and scheduled further sessions in August and September.

Board members complimented the department’s efforts and discussed long‑term use of historic federal funds and the need to balance statewide priorities with local needs. Miss Berta said centralization and capacity building are intended to help divisions stretch federal grant cycles and maximize programmatic impact. No board action or vote occurred on these items; staff said more details on centralizing grant operations will be provided in the coming month.