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District finance director outlines grants, carryovers and new summer discovery funds
Summary
Mark Graham reported the district spent recommended percentages on Title grants, will receive $801,000 for Summer Discovery summer school and expects an at‑risk funding increase that pushes the total to about $3.2 million for 2025–26; state and federal grant timelines and restrictions will tighten planning windows.
Mark Graham, the district’s grants lead, briefed the board on federal, state and local grant activity and carryovers for 2024–25 and the coming year.
Graham said the state had passed its budget on Thursday and some allocations arrived late, which compressed district planning. He reported that Title 1 spending for the prior year reached about the 85 percent target the state recommends; Title 2 spending was also about 85 percent. Graham said the district fully spent its 21H funds and that Title 4 spending sustained the AM/PM scholars (before/after care) program.
Notable funding items Graham described: - Summer Discovery: the district received $801,000 for an all‑day K–8 summer program; he said 421 students attended, a 40 percent increase over the prior year, and one site (Wick) had more than 300 students at a time during the program. - At‑risk funding: Graham said the district will receive an increase of $875,000 on top of the prior allocation, bringing at‑risk funding to approximately $3.2 million for the coming year. Carryover and timing changes required rapid plan adjustments because the state released some applications and allocations months later than usual. - Federal funding estimate: Graham said the district is looking at about $3.17 million in federal formula funding for core programs (Title 1, IDEA, Title 2, Title 4) and estimated state categorical increases of roughly $963,000 across targeted grants. - Literacy grant (35a): Graham said the state consolidated multiple 35a literacy subgrants into fewer grants; Romulus lost an estimated $35,000 in new 35a funding for the coming year.
Graham told the board that federal grants are now more targeted than during the ESSER period, requiring application specificity and narrower expenditure plans. He noted estimated carryover amounts (for example, roughly $337,000 for Title 1) and warned that late state schedule changes compressed planning timelines.
Board members and administrators asked for clarifications about how some funds will be used. Graham said a portion of federal and state funds will continue to support staffing, intervention teachers and community partners. He also answered questions about the Michigan adult education cuts and the district’s ability to manage Meal Up / Eat Up summer meal provisions: summer meal programs serve district students who attend summer sites and are not sufficiently reimbursed to cover all operating costs in many cases.
Ending
Graham said the district will finalize allocations as state and ISD guidance arrives and will return to the board with spending plans for targeted carryover funds.
