Wenatchee officials outline risks to federal programs, contingency steps to protect services

Tim Shepherd, the Wenatchee School District director of state and federal programs, briefed the school board on how state and federal grants are braided to support instruction and on contingency planning after recent drops in competitive funding.

Shepherd said the district uses a consolidated grant structure (multiple Title programs under ESEA/ESSA) and braids federal and state funds so different parts of initiatives can be funded while preserving each program’s reporting and compliance requirements. "Braiding funds ... empowers districts to maximize funding impact," Shepherd said during the workshop.

Why it matters: the district relies on a mix of federal allocations (Title I, II, III, IV, McKinney‑Vento and others) and state grants (LAP, TBIP, HSSEP, TPEP, BEST) to pay for staff and programs that serve multilingual learners, students experiencing homelessness and other high‑need groups. Shepherd warned that cuts to competitive grants or reduced carryforward could lead to scaled‑back programming or staffing changes.

Shepherd identified several specific pressures and district responses. He said Title I Part C (migrant) funds and Title II have been flagged as uncertain in recent budgeting discussions. The presentation cited an allocation of about $1,100,000 for one Title I line and a possible carryforward of about $1,300,000; Shepherd said those numbers, and others cited during the presentation, represent allocations and carryover estimates the district is tracking. He also said the district received $67,000 in McKinney‑Vento funding last year but received no McKinney‑Vento competitive funds this year. To partially offset a state cut to HSSEP (homeless stability), Shepherd reported reallocating $100,000 from Title I for homeless services this year but cautioned that this is not necessarily sustainable in future years.

Shepherd described how braiding supports a reading‑intervention example: Title I can help fund intervention teachers, LAP supplies assessments and progress monitoring, Title IV can provide before‑ and after‑school tutoring and Title III funds professional learning for English learner instruction. He emphasized that federal funds carry stricter time‑and‑effort documentation requirements; combining state and federal funds increases reporting complexity.

Board members pressed Shepherd on carryforward rules and timing. Shepherd said federal carryforward follows the school year (September–August) and official carryforward notice typically arrives in January or February. The board discussed options such as using levy and Basic Education Allocation (BEA) dollars to preserve essential programs while carryforward and final allocations are confirmed. Shepherd said some positions were not refilled after resignations this year as part of a cautious approach to possible funding reductions.

Human resources told the board that administrators and special program staff are aware when their roles are funded in part by grant dollars; HR has communicated with affected employees and plans individual conversations as next‑year funding becomes clearer.

No formal motions or votes were taken. Shepherd and the board agreed to continue close monitoring of state and federal decisions and to use a combination of carryforward planning, BEA/levy budgeting and cautious hiring to preserve services if federal allocations are reduced.

What’s next: district staff said they will continue scenario planning, update the board as official carryforward and allocation notices arrive, and pursue grant applications where feasible.