Coffee County official: Title I allocation mostly steady but future shortfalls possible

Krista Cole, director of federal programs for Coffee County Schools, told the Board of Education the district’s federal Title I allocation landed close to earlier estimates and that district leaders are using transfers and carryover to avoid cuts this year.

Cole said Title I — the federal program that “provides funding to schools with high percentages of low income students” — currently supports intervention teachers, professional development and required family engagement activities, and that the district’s elementary schools are classified as Title I schoolwide sites.

Cole said Coffee County’s Title I budget is roughly $1.5 million and that other federal streams vary: Title II-A about $200,000, Title III about $18,000, Title IV about $70,000, IDEA roughly $1.1 million and Pre‑K IDEA about $35,000. She told the board the final allocation this year was only a $40 drop from preliminary estimates and that, compared with other districts she knows, “we consider ourselves very fortunate.”

Why it matters: Title I pays for people — primarily intervention teachers — that the district says are central to addressing achievement gaps. Cole told the board a modest decline in allocations or districtwide pay increases could produce a significant shortfall.

Cole laid out the district’s contingency tactics and limits. She said the district has relied on allowable transfers from Title IV into Title I in recent years — a move the federal rules permit — and that Title I carryover from prior years will temporarily help cover personnel. But she cautioned that transfers and one‑time carryover are finite, saying, “that amount of carryover will not maintain.”

Cole also noted an administrative requirement to spend at least 1% of Title I on parent and family engagement — roughly $10,000 for the district — and reviewed a hypothetical outlook. Using a conservative scenario based on recent trends, she estimated a potential Title I shortfall of about $123,000; if the board approved a 3% salary increase across the district, that gap could grow to about $151,000.

Options discussed: Cole told the board the district’s short‑to‑medium term options are (1) continue transfers from Title IV and use Title I carryover where allowed, (2) request supplemental support from the general fund to cover gaps, or (3) reduce personnel funded by Title I. She said the district’s preference is to avoid asking general fund subsidies but that personnel reductions are a possible final option.

Board members asked about what Title IV currently funds (summer programs, after‑school tutoring, AP/ACT prep, counseling and other well‑rounded activities) and how shifting Title IV money into Title I would change services. Cole said the district has scaled some professional development and summer offerings in recent years to free Title IV carryover for Title I uses and that doing so will force narrower programming if carried forward.

Cole also flagged external risks: she said an ongoing legislative discussion could alter incentive funding for districts with high rates of A‑rated schools, and she mentioned the possibility — low but real, in her view — of federal sequestration that could cut allocations unexpectedly.

What’s next: Cole said she and finance staff will continue modeling allocations as the state posts final figures, and called for continued conversation about what programs the board prefers to protect if funding tightens.

Ending: Board members thanked Cole for the update and asked staff to continue sharing updated allocations and scenario modeling once the state posts its final numbers.