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District grants director outlines $4.4M community‑school set‑aside, ARP liquidation and teacher‑pipeline steps
Summary
The grants office reviewed recurring and new awards, noted $4.4 million community‑school set‑aside, continued liquidation of American Rescue Plan funds and progress on a teacher residency program; budget staff previewed 2024‑25 uncertainties tied to state aid and polling‑place notices under the Voting Rights Act.
The City School District of Albany’s grants office presented an overview of recent awards, recurring funding streams and ongoing grant management work, noting a $4,400,000 community‑school set‑aside and continuing liquidation of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds.
Why it matters: Grants and federal funds materially affect programming, staffing and services for students. The presentation flagged funds that support mental‑health services, expanded pre‑K, after‑school programs and teacher pipelines, and identified potential vulnerability if federal funding streams change.
Key points from the grants presentation Dr. Engelhart, director of grants and program development, told the board the district manages a mix of competitive and recurring grants, partners with local organizations and provides technical assistance to community partners who receive funds directly. The district’s “community school aid” set‑aside—treated administratively like a grant—was listed at approximately $4,400,000 and has remained at that threshold in district records back through prior years.
The director said the district is still liquidating ARP funds because of vendor timelines and contractual extensions. She noted recurring federal and state allocations the district expects annually—Title funds, IDEA (special education), Perkins (career and technical education) and school improvement funds—and described coordination with more than 50 nonpublic schools as required for some allocations.
Teacher pipeline and program notes Dr. Engelhart said the teacher residency program is yielding candidates: one resident completed a first-year placement and the district has five residents in the current year. The district also submitted a Farm to School grant to support the district’s outdoor and STEM programs and continues to pursue competitive opportunities such as apprenticeship and STEM grants.
Budget preview and next steps Budget staff gave an early preview of planning for the 2024–25 fiscal year. They reported overall grant budget figures declining from a 2023–24 total (including ARP dollars) of over $46 million to a current 2024–25 budget of about $31.5 million as ARP funding winds down. Enrollment was reported to have increased by roughly 450–500 students, a factor that will affect staffing and position control calculations.
Board discussion and community foundations Board members praised the grants office’s work and suggested additional funder outreach, including smaller STEM and chemistry grants and local foundations. One board member asked whether the district had pursued municipal partners for Safe Routes to School funding; staff said they had engaged city partners and health partners and would continue outreach.
What this does not mean yet No board action was taken on funding lines at the meeting. Staff said they will return with more detailed budget estimates as state aid figures are announced and as grant applications are awarded or declined.
Bottom line The presentation framed securing and stewarding grant funds as a continuing priority as federal pandemic funding sunsets and as the district pursues teacher‑pipeline, mental‑health, after‑school and farm‑to‑school initiatives.
