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Dennis-Yarmouth outlines $2.1M in federal entitlement grants and moves to centralize tracking after audit findings
Summary
Dr. Gilson told the committee the district receives about $2.1 million in federal entitlement grants and described a new centralized grants-management process and monthly encumbrance reporting to meet auditor and DESE expectations.
At the Nov. 24 meeting, Dr. Gilson presented a district overview of federal entitlement grants and described steps to improve transparency and auditor readiness, including a centralized grants-management report and monthly encumbrance reconciliation.
"All the monies that we're getting from the federal government, $2,100,000," Dr. Gilson said when summarizing the district’s federal funding for the year. He explained that federal funds (IDEA, Title grants and other entitlements) are intended in part to offset operating-budget spending on interventions, coaching, and contracted services.
Dr. Gilson described an auditor recommendation that pushed the district to create a central tracking system: designated point people will pull account activity each month into an Infinite Visions grants-management report showing spending, reserved encumbrances and alignment with grant narratives. "We have to create a centralized tracking system," he said, adding that quarterly updates to the school committee will follow.
He itemized grant-funded programs and vendors mentioned in the presentation: special-education entitlement funds (IDEA), Improving Basic Programs/Title I, Title II, Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, literacy pilots (HMH reading), Amplify (middle-school ELA/math), Empower (literacy consultant), Carnegie math supports, and partnerships for behavioral and trauma-sensitive practice (May Institute, Lesley University). Dr. Gilson said some grants require annual audit work when federal grant totals exceed $750,000.
The district will use the grants-management report, account-history detail and an account-purchase-order history report to monitor encumbrances and spending. Dr. Gilson said the team will bring the accounts detail to a recurring monthly review and that staff who attend will sign an account-detail report to support auditors and DESE.
