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Holmen officials report drop in Title I schools; district plans targeted family outreach
Summary
District staff told the board that changing local income data reduced Title I funding and site eligibility for one building, described in-school supports and planned family engagement events for students needing additional reading/math interventions.
Holmen School District staff presented the annual Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title I report to the board on Oct. 13, 2025, detailing how changing local income data reduced Title I eligibility for one building and describing current intervention strategies, family outreach and private‑school proportional‑share arrangements.
The district's Title I coordinator and interventionist explained that last year three buildings qualified for additional Title I resources—that is, additional teachers funded for targeted or schoolwide services—but because the community's average income rose, funding and eligibility declined. "The good news, bad news is that our community is a little more affluent. And so as a result, unfortunately, we lost a good portion of our Title I funding. And only two of our buildings this year qualify for Title I service," the presenter said.
Why it matters: Title I funding targets students at risk of falling behind in reading and math. Staff said the district will focus Title I services this year on Sand Lake and Viking; Evergreen no longer met the threshold and therefore will not receive Title I funds this cycle. District staff said all buildings continue to employ academic interventionists and that schools use universal instruction, research‑based interventions and data meetings to place students in appropriate groups.
Family engagement and private‑school partners: Staff described planned family outreach including "breakfast and books" events to connect families to reading strategies, and they explained the proportional share process for private schools: the district allocates a portion of Title I funds to partner private schools (St. Paul's Lutheran School, St. Patrick School and Great River Montessori) based on resident‑student counts and works under written agreements to coordinate services.
Questions from board members covered the mechanics of Title I allocations, the influence of surrounding residential data on eligibility, and contingency planning should federal funding levels change. "Something that we are watching very closely and having a lot of conversations about. I think we're probably gonna have to have a plan A, B and C," a staff member said when asked about possible federal funding reductions.
What’s next: Staff will focus Title I resources on the two qualifying buildings this year, continue to run data meetings to refine student groupings and pilot family events intended to reach a broader set of families. The item was informational; no board vote was required.
