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Mississippi Education Officials Warn $68 million in Federal Grants Are Being Reviewed by U.S. Department of Education
Summary
State Superintendent Dr. Evans told the Mississippi Board of Education the U.S. Department of Education notified states it is reviewing or ‘‘impounding’’ certain ESSA and pandemic-relief grant funds, a move that could affect about $68 million in Mississippi allocations to districts and the department.
State Superintendent Dr. Evans told the Mississippi State Board of Education on July 17 that the U.S. Department of Education has notified states it is reviewing certain federal grant programs, a step he described as ‘‘impounding’’ funds that currently support programs across Mississippi.
Dr. Evans said the notice from the U.S. Department of Education came June 26 and affects roughly $68,000,000 in funds that flow to local school districts and to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE). He listed affected programs as migrant education, support for effective instruction, Title I/C, Title II/A, Title III/A, Title IV/A, Title IV/B, student support and academic enrichment, and 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.
The superintendent told the board MDE has urged districts to submit drawdown requests quickly because there is no guarantee the department will reopen timelines for late liquidation; he described discussions with districts and with the U.S. Department of Education as ongoing. He also said 24 states and the District of Columbia had filed suit in federal court over withheld pandemic-relief funds and that MDE continues to monitor and press for clarity and timelines.
Nut graf: The notice and subsequent legal activity pose a potential cash-flow disruption for Mississippi districts that budget and operate programs on federal drawdowns; MDE is conducting statewide briefings and holding a teams meeting to answer district questions and share guidance.
In the boardroom, Dr. Evans said MDE convened a large Teams session for superintendents, business managers and federal program directors with roughly 475 participants to explain the department’s current guidance and next steps. He emphasized that both districts and MDE rely on timely federal transfers and that the department is working directly with the U.S. Department of Education to seek a clear timeline for any review or release of the funds.
Dr. Evans reiterated that the department is urging districts to ‘‘request the money’’ because the timing is uncertain and because MDE cannot reallocate funds it has not received. He also described the department’s outreach to stakeholders and its commitment to help districts manage possible shortfalls while the federal review proceeds.
Board members asked clarifying questions about which federal titles were affected; Dr. Evans pointed them to the list in his remarks and to forthcoming guidance MDE has shared with districts. The board took no formal action on the matter at the July meeting.
Ending: MDE said it will continue direct outreach to districts and will update the board as federal communications or litigation developments change the department’s funding outlook.
