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Superintendent: federal ESEA FY26 funding pause will delay some Title II hires; carryover funds will cover start of year
Summary
Superintendent Sue Doris told the Auburn School Committee the U.S. Department of Education has not released FY26 ESEA allocations; the delay affects Title II and Title IV allocations but the district will use carryover funds and Title I transfers to sustain planned services at the school year start.
Dr. Sue Doris, superintendent of Auburn Public Schools, told the School Committee on July 16 that the U.S. Department of Education had not released full FY26 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) grant allocations on July 1 and that those allocations are under review by the federal Office of Management and Budget.
"The US Department of Education did not release the full FY 26 grant funding on July 1 as we would expect, and that has been customary in the past," Doris said.
Doris said the delay will affect the district's anticipated Title II and Title IV funding levels. She reported typical recent allocations and intended uses as follows: Title II roughly $250,000 (professional development, literacy and math instructional support, class-size reduction positions, and the Auburn Induction Academy), Title III roughly $30,000 (support for multilingual learners, instructional materials, family engagement and professional development), and Title IV roughly $100,000 (Advanced Placement exam support and transfers to Title I for elementary schoolwide programs).
To begin the school year, the district will rely on existing carryover amounts in its federal grant accounts. Doris said the district will use carryover to maintain current services and will fund planned class-size reduction positions through Title I transfers; however, the new math instructional coach position tied specifically to Title II will be placed on hold and will not be advertised until allocations are confirmed.
"We took a look at our carryover funds with the title grants and we're in pretty good shape. So we'll use the existing carryover funds to begin the school year," Doris said.
Doris told the committee that Title III programming should not be affected because the district has adequate carryover to cover planned services. She also clarified that the funding pause does not affect Title I funds or special education funding and that the district will continue to monitor the federal process and report back to the committee.
Committee members asked whether the Office of Management and Budget had given a timeline for allocation release; Doris said the district was hearing that more information could come in late September or early October.
