District officials report 21st Century programs serving thousands while federal funding outlook remains uncertain

District staff told the Governing Board on March 4 that Sunnyside's 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant programming currently serves thousands of students and families, but that federal funding allocations for fiscal 2026 remain uncertain pending federal and state budget actions.

Erica Hanneman, the district coordinator for 21st CCLC, said the district operates programs at 11 campuses and has received roughly $1.5 million in 21st Century funding this year. "So far this year, at our 11 sites, we have over $1,500,000 in funding," Hanneman said. She reported the program has served more than 2,355 students, that 932 students have met attendance goals, that 887 adults participated in family engagement events, and that the program team has hired over 200 staff to run after‑school and related activities.

Why it matters: 21st CCLC grants are federally funded and competitive; they pay for after-school academic supports, enrichment and family engagement activities that district staff and trustees said materially expand services for students who otherwise might not have access to extended‑day programming.

Program details and family engagement

Hanneman described Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT), a data-driven family engagement model adopted at seven schools. Under APTT, staff said, families receive grade-level skill targets, individual pupil data, strategies to help students at home and recurring workshops where progress and goals are reviewed.

Hanneman also noted that Elvira and Sierra plan to apply for 21st CCLC grants this year; if awarded they could receive up to five years of funding per federal grant rules.

Federal funding outlook and planning

Andrea Foster and Hanneman briefed the board on the federal funding timeline. Foster said current funding "remains on track" for the remainder of the year, and the district has carryover and waivers that make staff "fairly confident" it can continue programming through Sept. 30, 2025. She warned that the federal budget for 2025 had not been finalized and that state allocation procedures may reduce projected allocations for planning; staff said Arizona plans to initially model allocations conservatively with a 20% reduction for planning purposes.

Timeline and administrative steps

- Applications: the Arizona Department of Education had historically posted projected allocations on March 1; staff said ADE pushed the projection date to April 1 this cycle. - Needs assessment: principals are completing Comprehensive Needs Assessments in March; those school-level data will drive Title I and 21st CCLC spending priorities. - Collaborative budgeting: district staff said they are coordinating through a federal-and-state team (FAST) to pool information about Title I, Title II and other federal funds before finalizing allocations.

Quotes from presenters

Erica Hanneman: "These [21st CCLC] grants are very competitive, but once a school receives it they can earn money for up to five years."

Andrea Foster: "Current funding remains on track. We have not heard anything about cuts this year," though she cautioned that federal and state processes are still unfolding.

What the board asked and next steps

Board members asked about staffing and whether reduced teaching positions were anticipated; administration replied that some FTE adjustments had been made but that staff had tried to limit layoffs and to use substitutes or flexible staffing where needed. Staff said they would continue to update the board as federal and state budget actions become clearer and would return the proposed school-level allocations following completion of the Comprehensive Needs Assessments.