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Superintendent warns new federal allocation model will cut Title I aid for some North Dakota districts
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Leck told the Jamestown board that a shift to a U.S. Department of Education allocation model focused on resident population will reduce some districts' Title I funding; Jamestown faces an estimated roughly $86,000 loss but administration said they can adapt.
Superintendent Dr. Leck told the Jamestown Public School Board Monday that a change in the U.S. Department of Education'recommended allocation model will alter how Title I funds are distributed in North Dakota and will cause sharp increases and decreases for some districts.
Dr. Leck said the new model is more heavily weighted to resident population rather than to the number of students who attend a district, and that the state has notified districts it will move to that model without a new public-comment period. He said Jamestown'based on the district's analysis'faces an estimated loss of about $86,000 under the change.
"We can survive in Jamestown," Dr. Leck said at the meeting. "It's $86,000 or something of that nature. Is it gonna be tough? Yeah. It's gonna impact our budget, but our services won't suffer. We're gonna make do. We will persevere." He said the district intends to urge the state to reconsider or to provide a transition plan.
Dr. Leck described broader statewide impacts the board had analyzed: about 24 districts would see decreases greater than 10 percent under the new model, while some districts on or near reservations could see allocations jump by several hundred percent. He said school districts facing large losses would face immediate and severe budgetary challenges if the change is implemented without transition safeguards.
Board members said they will continue advocacy and monitoring during the legislative session. Dr. Leck said he is tracking bills and will bring "spotlight" updates on key legislation affecting district funding.
No formal action was taken by the board on the Title I allocation model during the meeting; the discussion was informational and framed as part of the superintendent's report.
