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School board approves nearly $2.0M in state and federal grants, reallocates literacy funds for multi-year programs
Summary
Caroline County School Board approved a FY26 budget amendment to bring roughly $1.98 million in new state and federal funds into the operating and special grants budgets, including deferred literacy funds earmarked for tutoring, absenteeism and Virginia Literacy Act work.
The Caroline County School Board on April 13 approved a fiscal year 2026 budget amendment to incorporate newly awarded state and federal funds totaling approximately $1.98 million. Chief Operations Officer Marcia Stevens presented the amendment and a breakdown of grants and deferred state revenues that staff said are intended to support literacy, math and other targeted programs.
Stevens told the board the amendment includes the comprehensive literacy state development grant, school improvement grant funds, a math innovation grant, a math acceleration grant, a Jobs for Virginia Graduates allocation, and state SOQ bonus funding. Staff also flagged a deferred literacy allocation of about $1.485 million; Stevens and other administrators said that sum represents multiple state funding streams that were deferred into FY26 to allow division-wide work on tutoring, Virginia Literacy Act requirements and chronic absenteeism interventions rather than a single-year marketing expense.
Board discussion focused on timing and expenditure deadlines. Stevens said grant deadlines vary by award and the division will record actual revenues and expenditures in FY26 and, if amounts carry forward, reflect them in the FY27 budget. Board members pressed whether the SOQ bonus must be certified by May 1 and were told the final amount will depend on year-end enrollment and financials.
After questions were answered, the board moved, seconded, and approved the amendment. Stevens said staff will present required appropriation requests to the board of supervisors as part of intergovernmental budget actions and will return with detailed spending plans for each grant.
The amendment brings new funding into several instructional priorities: literacy programs tied to Caroline Reads, math coaching and professional learning, school improvement investments at specific schools, and supports for career and technical education that align with recently discussed grant applications.
