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District warns federal Title funding freezes will force short-term contingency plans
Summary
Fayetteville officials say recent U.S. Department of Education freezes of multiple Title grants leave the district covering some salaries and programs this year and force planning questions if funds are not restored.
At the July meeting of the Fayetteville Board of Education, Dr. Vicky McPetridge, the district’s federal programs presenter, told trustees the U.S. Department of Education had frozen a number of awards after states expected funds under a congressional continuing resolution.
McPetridge said the district’s Title I allocation — the largest single federal education grant that supports high-poverty schools — was not frozen and the district expects an official allocation soon. But she told the board Title I-C (migrant), Title II (professional development), Title III (English learner support) and Title IV-A (well-rounded education) grants were currently frozen and together accounted for several hundred thousand dollars the district had planned to spend on staff and programs for 2025–26.
Why this matters: The freezes require Fayetteville to cover some positions and initiatives this year and could force program cuts or job reassignments if funds are not released later.
Amounts and effect: McPetridge said the district had expected roughly $700,000 in funding in March planning that now is under review at the federal level; she listed Title II at about $360,000 and Title III at just over $100,000. She said Title IV-B (a separate competitive piece tied to after-school and summer programming) was briefly frozen but has since been released.
McPetridge told the board the district has contingency plans to cover commitments for the coming school year and will continue to pursue reimbursements if the federal funds are ultimately released. She also said the U.S. Department of Education’s requirements — including recordkeeping and program expectations — remain in force even where funding is frozen.
Board response and advocacy: Board members expressed frustration that the funding decision arrived late in the budget cycle. One board member noted about 24 states had filed suit against the Department of Education; McPetridge said Arkansas had not joined that list but that state officials were lobbying elected representatives. McPetridge said district leaders and local advocates had also contacted members of Congress and that district staff planned to monitor the situation closely through December.
Ending: The district will use local contingency funds to cover planned staff and programs for 2025–26 while awaiting clarity from the state and federal levels; trustees asked staff to report back if the freeze persists.
