Superintendent says federal grant freezes will not derail division this year but will shift costs to local budget

Virginia Beach ' Superintendent Dr. Mike Robertson told the School Board the division will be "okay" for the current year despite federal grants that have not yet been released to states, but that the division will need to use carryover and operating funds to cover a shortfall until federal action provides clarity. "Preview, we're gonna be okay. Right now, we're hoping those freezes don't become permanent, but right now, we're gonna be okay for this year," Robertson said. He described targeted adjustments by program and said staff would report exact figures in August once year-end carryover is finalized. Robertson summarized the division's current approach to the affected federal programs: title 1c (migrant education) and title 4 part b (21st Century learning) do not directly affect the division this year; title 3 (English language acquisition) has adequate carryover to sustain planned positions and contracts; title 4 part a positions were partially staffed and carryover will be used for those; and title 2a (Supporting Effective Instruction) will need partial operating coverage. Staff estimated the grant portfolio affected included roughly $2.1 million in title 2a allocations, about $273,000 in title 3, approximately $1.3 million for title 4, and about $300,000 for adult basic education in the division's planning figures; Robertson said carryover can cover some of the gap and the remaining shortfall is expected to be between roughly $800,000 and $1 million that will be absorbed by the operating budget for FY2026 as a bridge measure. The superintendent told the board the Finance and Grants teams are working to provide an exact reconciliation after year-end closeout and invoices are processed; Tiffany Jacobs (budget) and Crystal Pate (CFO) will present a full accounting at the board's August meeting. Ending: Robertson and finance staff asked the board to await the August memo with itemized dollar figures; board members asked the staff to coordinate with state officials and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents on broader advocacy efforts.