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District outlines federal grants and entitlements, highlights use of Title I, IDEA and child nutrition funds
Summary
District staff reviewed formula and discretionary federal funding, reported entitlements of about $22.98 million (excluding ESSER), described Title I campus allocations, IDEA use for special education staffing, child nutrition reimbursements and discretionary grants, and explained maintenance-of-effort and supplement-not-supplant constraints.
District staff presented an overview of federal grants and entitlements at the April 3 meeting, explaining how the funds flow from the U.S. Department of Education through TEA to local districts and how Richardson ISD uses those funds.
Dr. Butel (district federal grants staff) described two broad buckets of federal funds: formula entitlements (for example Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, IDEA and Perkins) and discretionary or competitive grants. She said the district’s recurring entitlement awards totaled approximately $22,981,000 for the period discussed (this figure excludes ESSER one-time funds). Child nutrition funds and commodity reimbursements were shown separately; those federal reimbursements fund meal programs and related operations.
Dr. Butel explained how Title I funds are primarily campus-directed (about 90% goes to campuses) to support campus improvement activities such as tutoring, classroom materials and instructional coaches. Title II supports professional learning and new-teacher programs. Title III supports emerging bilingual students and family literacy; Title IV supports well-rounded education, healthy schools and effective use of technology. IDEA-B funds largely support staff who provide special education services; the district noted that IDEA funding does not fully cover special education costs and maintenance-of-effort rules require the district to sustain a given spending level for special education.
The presentation noted declines in SHARS reimbursements tied to federal and state rule changes, and staff referenced a pending legislative supplemental (reported earlier in the meeting) intended to backfill some SHARS losses. The district also discussed discretionary awards such as a principal residency grant and a “grow-your-own” program for educator pathways. Staff said they maintain district and campus improvement plans and solicit parent input on the use of federal funds.
Ending
Staff emphasized that federal funds come with program-specific restrictions (including supplement-not-supplant rules) and substantial documentation requirements. The district said it will continue to publish federal-grant awards online and to invite stakeholder input through the district planning committee, campus site-based decision-making teams and Let’s Talk.
