Othello district officials warn federal rescission could strip $1.1 million from migrant and multilingual programs

Othello School District officials warned at a board meeting that federal action to rescind appropriations could withhold about $1.1 million in grants the district expected this summer, threatening staff and programs that serve migrant and multilingual students. The district’s finance staff and board members said the potential rescission is unfolding as the district prepares its July 10 budget and that some funds must be spent before they can be claimed through federal reporting systems.

The possible loss matters because those grants underwrite staff and summer programming that benefit the whole system, officials said. Director Gerber told the board the map shared with trustees showed proposed cuts concentrated in districts with larger migrant and bilingual student populations: “Because we have more of those students, we are more affected,” Gerber said. The district’s finance staff said the federal funds in question total about $2.8 million in the 2025–26 draft budget, of which roughly $1.1 million was highlighted on the state map…