Title I review: district reports FY25 drawdown and discusses using set‑asides to target literacy

Jacqueline Dorsey, director of compensatory programs, briefed the committee on Title I and other compensatory grants, reporting last year's Title I original allocation of about $17.7 million (final ~$21.3 million with carryforward) and an FY25 spend rate of roughly 84%.

Dorsey said the largest share of Title I spending goes to salaries and benefits (about 86%), with other categories including instructional materials and after‑school programming. She outlined that Title I allocations are distributed to schools based on per‑pupil formulas and poverty percentages and stressed that school improvement plans drive how those funds are used.

Board members asked whether the district could create a Title I district set‑aside to direct funding to district priorities such as Ignite or literacy coaches. Staff said the district can set aside funds but cautioned that doing so reduces school allocations and may impact positions at individual schools; they noted that many Title I dollars flow directly to schools and that a district set‑aside would require tradeoff analysis.

Committee members also discussed McKinney‑Vento staffing: staff reported three positions explicitly titled McKinney‑Vento and said roughly 1,080 students were identified as homeless last year; social workers and counselors also support that caseload. Members asked whether staffing levels were adequate; staff said they are managing but recommended checking with the McKinney‑Vento liaison for operational detail.

The committee asked staff to continue aligning Title I usage with ROI criteria and to explore whether targeted district investments could help get underperforming schools off state lists, while noting legal constraints about supplanting federal funds.