District grants total roughly $13.9M; new BCBA hired and ELITE alternative program shows rising graduations

The Elko County School District grants office reported approximately $13,900,000 in awards for FY26 during the Jan. 20 board meeting, detailing major categorical allocations, program impacts and next steps for compliance and sustainability.

Miss Cox (Grants) told the board federal and state grant funding supports a large share of targeted programs — notably special education, Title I and academic achievement initiatives — and that the overall grant portfolio is subject to strict allowability and documentation requirements. She announced the district has brought a board‑certified behavioral analyst (BCBA) in‑house to support special education needs, which the grants office said both strengthens capacity and can reduce long‑term costs.

The presentation also highlighted the ELITE alternative education program at Elko High School, which reported graduation outcomes that increased from 4 to 12 in its second year; Miss Cox noted ELITE enrollments are counted as transfer outs for graduation‑rate calculations but reflect interventions for students who otherwise might not graduate. The 21st Century after‑school program was expanded to Sage Elementary, serving approximately 50 students for tutoring and enrichment.

Trustees asked about grant sustainability (whether positions such as the BCBA are long‑term commitments), the number of employees funded wholly or partially by grants, and the mechanics of small local grants (e.g., a $50,000 West Wendover city allocation for school projects). Grants staff said special education funding currently supports certain personnel and that sustainability is considered when hiring with grant dollars; many grants overlap and planning accounts for multiple fiscal years.

Administration reported plans to streamline grant requisition and accounting through a new Tyler accounting system to improve compliance reporting.