Interim curriculum staff Crystal Longback and literacy coordinator Angela Villalobos told the Sierra Vista Unified School District governing board that Title I funds are federal dollars intended to supplement local instruction for high‑risk students and must be tied to school improvement plans.

"So what is Title I? So it is a federal program, and it is about getting our funding to our schools," Longback said, summarizing how Title I supports targeted interventions, reduced class sizes and professional development. She told the board Arizona uses a 35% schoolwide threshold to qualify a site for schoolwide Title I status and that sites must submit integrated action plans and measurable goals to the state.

Villalobos described how the district screens K–3 students three times per year and uses universal screener data to form targeted intervention groups. "All students who are at risk… receive a diagnostic assessment," she said, and parents are notified of at‑risk status. Villalobos said Title I services are generally pull‑out small groups while the district’s literacy intervention paraprofessionals provide in‑class supports supervised by endorsed reading specialists.

Board members asked for data on the share of at‑risk students. Villalobos said last year that proportion was "less than 15% of our student population" and that midyear indicators show the district is "slightly lower than that this year," with students in intervention making measurable growth in benchmark assessments.

The presentation stressed weekly progress monitoring and data sharing with teachers to guide instruction and adjust supports. Longback and Villalobos said Title I teachers in the district hold reading‑specialist endorsements and that sites must document action steps, timelines and responsible staff before Title I funds are used.

The board did not take formal action on Title I at the meeting; presenters said they will continue outreach to families and follow state reporting requirements.