Oconee officials weigh three models to expand Title I services across elementary schools

Dr. McDonald, the district’s federal programs director, told the school board the district currently receives “approximately $3,000,000” in Title I funding and is exploring ways to broaden which elementary schools receive the grant support.

The presentation outlined three implementation models: (1) immediate service to all 10 elementary schools under the current Title I budget, which would sharply reduce per-school allocations at currently served schools; (2) a graduated three‑year transition that uses the general fund or other federal programs as a compensatory mechanism to extend services to all schools while tapering resources at current Title I sites; and (3) a phased plan beginning with seven schools and gradually shifting resources. Dr. McDonald said the board’s staff favors the second, graduated model as “effective…