Fitchburg — Linda Colon, the district’s assistant superintendent for teaching and learning and the district’s Title director, reviewed how Fitchburg will use its federal Title I–IV allocations for the coming year and secured committee permission to apply for a $22,000 Acceleration Academy grant.

Colon told the committee the Title I allocation for the year is $2,845,536, the majority of which is budgeted for teacher salaries and associated employee costs for staff paid through Title I. She said Title I funds also support evidence‑based intervention programs, family engagement events, and summer curriculum planning stipends. "Our total allocation for Title I this year was $2,845,536," Colon said.

Colon said Title II (about $284,980) is focused on professional learning, induction, and leadership opportunities; Title III (about $154,791) supports English‑learner instruction and related curriculum resources and family outreach; and Title IV (about $209,075) funds after‑school programming at Crocker and South Street, technology/library and unified‑arts leads, and transportation/staffing for expanded after‑school offerings.

Committee members asked practical questions such as rollover rules (one‑year rollover allowed for unused funds) and how Title funds may not be used to replace city funds. In response to a member’s question about potential federal funding changes, Colon and administrators acknowledged that reductions in federal Title funding would require program adjustments and could be “devastating” to local services.

Separately, the committee voted to authorize the superintendent to submit an Acceleration Academy grant application for $22,000 to run short acceleration programs during February school vacation for targeted students in McKay and Longshore, an action recorded as item 24434 and approved by unanimous voice vote.