Prosser School officials warn possible federal funding cuts could force additional staff reductions

Prosser School District officials told the school board on an unspecified June meeting date that federal funding for migrant and bilingual programs for the 2025–26 school year is uncertain and could require additional staff reductions and cash‑management steps.

The district’s finance and administrative staff told the board they recently received an email saying Title I, Part C awards for 2025–26 were not guaranteed; district administrators said that, combined with an already tight state budget, the district may have to reduce staff beyond earlier notices and to manage accounts payable more aggressively.

Kim (district staff member) told the board, “we got $246,000 in our safety net award,” and then warned that a new federal notice raised uncertainty about next year’s migrant and bilingual funding. The district treatened short‑term measures to manage cash flow, including temporarily routing some payable activity through the district’s BMO credit card and scheduling statements to minimize interest costs. Superintendent‑level staff said they will publicly share audits of BMO charges so the community can track expenditures.

Why it matters: the Title I, Part C funds support migrant and bilingual programming that serves thousands in the region; a large cut would force the district to weigh program reductions, personnel changes and reliance on carryover funds. District administrators said they may be able to bridge an immediate gap using carryover if approved, but cautioned that state funds are not positioned to make up potential federal shortfalls.

District staff gave more operational context at the same meeting. They noted the district received $246,000 from the special education safety‑net award this cycle (an increase over the prior year), but that federal program uncertainty arrived after board reports were prepared. Administrators said carryover rules and timing of apportionment from OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) will be central to how long the district can avoid program reductions.

Administrators also described non‑personnel impacts and service changes tied to capacity and participation. Food service staff said summer‑meal distribution will be concentrated at a single location this year; the district cited two factors: fewer food‑service staff signed up to work summer meals and local partners — notably the Boys & Girls Club — are providing lunches and dinners in some neighborhoods. The district said the meals program itself is generally reimbursable, but labor is not, and low staff interest contributed to the site consolidation.

On workforce and operations, the district said it has already issued some notices tied to projected staff reductions in food services and maintenance and that it is meeting and conferring with affected employee groups. Officials described exploring software to reduce labor cost in timekeeping and absence management, and said they have hired several office and fiscal staff to improve capacity for the coming school year.

What comes next: administrators asked the board to remain prepared to consider further personnel and budget decisions once federal apportionment and carryover details are clarified. They said they will return with more detailed options, and they pledged to keep the board and public updated as federal and state funding decisions become final.

The district emphasized this is a statewide issue, not unique to Prosser: “If you go to OSPI … you can see all of the millions of dollars that were not given to every school district in the state this month,” a district official said, urging the public not to interpret internal cash‑management steps as mismanagement.