Moriarty-Edgewood board approves unified federal grants application amid tight federal carryover

The Moriarty-Edgewood School District board voted to approve the New Mexico Public Education Department’s unified federal grants application, a pilot consolidation of multiple federal program applications, after Learning Services staff walked trustees through the application’s assurances, equity requirements and draft allocations.

Learning Services staff described the application as combining Title I, II, III, IV and IDEA programs into a single submission intended to reduce duplicative inputs and better align district spending with subgroup equity goals. "Perkins opens pathways for career and technical education and work-based learning," the presenter said, noting Perkins funds are modest this year but serve as a gateway to larger NextGen and Innovation Zones awards.

Board members reviewed draft allocation figures shown by staff: Title I approximately $672,473 (district allocation), Title II about $122,865, Title III about $15,786, and Title IV about $46,843. Staff said the district has exhausted its federal carryover funds from prior years and now must rely on current allocations; that loss of carryover has required the operational budget to absorb more than $400,000 in salaries and benefits previously paid from federal grant lines.

Officials explained Title I set‑asides and eligibility options; the district used option C (direct certification with a multiplier) to calculate school poverty rates. Staff reported a districtwide poverty rate of about 80.2 percent and said Mor iarty High School now meets the federal threshold to be funded as a Title I school (over 75 percent poverty in the calculation), changing how per‑pupil Title I dollars will be distributed.

Trustees discussed intended uses for Title funds, including instructional coaches, a mental health counselor, supplies, professional learning and partial support for a student success coach. The board approved the unified application by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the unified application, adopted multiple policy updates (see separate article), approved consent finance items, and carried motions to table the 2025–26 instructional calendar for revision. In other business trustees approved disposal of a totaled maintenance truck and authorized two out‑of‑state student travel requests.

The district will now finalize the application materials and submit them to the state; staff said allocations for some programs (for example IDEA B) remain estimates until the state posts final numbers. The board did not take final action on the 2025–26 instructional calendar, voting instead to table it for a future meeting.