Clinton hires Indian Education coordinator, moves to expand outreach and culturally specific supports

Clinton City Schools introduced its newly hired Indian Education coordinator, Daja Emmanuel, at the board’s Jan. 27 meeting and heard a progress report on program activities, student identification and funding efforts.

Emmanuel, who the district hired this school year to revive and expand the Indian Education program, told the school board the program has started talking circles, family meetings and cultural events and has built a district page with a direct link for parents to begin the 506 eligibility process that establishes federal support for Native students.

The 506 form, Emmanuel said, “is a document that verifies Native American students’ eligibility for federal funding.” She told the board Clinton’s published data (2022–23) listed 2,854 students districtwide and 63 American Indian students (about 2.21 percent) but that local outreach and records work indicate “we have 101 students in total” who identify as Native American; many of those students currently lack completed 506 paperwork, birth certificates or other documentation needed to claim federal eligibility.

Why it matters: 506 forms determine eligibility for the federal Indian Education program and can increase the district’s federal allocation for Native-specific services and programming. Emmanuel and staff described outreach steps — table presence at registrations and parent nights, phone followups,…