North Andover School Committee accepts federal Title I, II and III grants

The North Andover School Committee voted unanimously on Nov. 20 to accept federal entitlement grants the district had already included in its FY budget, the superintendent’s office told the committee.

Superintendent Gail said the grants had been delayed in disbursement by the federal government but were previously factored into the district’s planning. "Title I is our largest one, which mostly funds reading interventionists at both the Thompson and the Atkinson schools," Miss Ando said during the presentation, explaining that both schools qualify as whole-school Title I campuses and the funds can be used at either school.

The administration described Title II funds as supporting teacher professional development and stipends for teacher leaders, and Title III as targeted to multilingual learners, covering proficiency-building instruction, specialized PD and family engagement activities. "Title 3 is specifically for our multilingual learners...and this one is very specific in three categories," Miss Ando said.

Committee members asked staff whether the grants represented new money or were already in the budget; administration reiterated these were entitlement grants anticipated in the budget rather than competitive, one-time awards. After brief discussion the committee moved, seconded and accepted the grants by unanimous voice vote.

The committee did not attach new spending authorizations beyond what was presented; administrators said they will continue to report how funds are allocated as part of routine budget updates. The grant acceptance is recorded as an official addition to the district’s FY budget.