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District staff outline Title grant allocations and warn of statewide funding declines
Summary
District federal-programs staff told the board April 14 that Title I, II and V allocations declined statewide for 2026 while Title IV rose slightly; Title I allocation for Orangeburg was reported as $9.7 million and staff emphasized monitoring, quarterly audits, and planning for 10–15% year-to-year fluctuation.
Orangeburg County School District staff presented a detailed overview of federal Title grants at the April 14 board meeting, reporting district allocations and how those funds are used at school and district levels.
Ms. Wilson, director of federal programs, told trustees that the district's Title I allocation for the 2026 school year is approximately $9.7 million (down from about $10.7 million in 2025). She said Title II funding is approximately $663,000, Title IV about $794,430, and Title V roughly $434,702, and she walked the board through how those allocations are apportioned for instructional support, parent engagement, pupil services, professional development, recruitment and other categories.
Wilson explained that funding declined across most Title grants statewide between 2025 and 2026 and advised the board to plan for normal annual fluctuations of 10% to 15%. She described the district's monitoring practices, including quarterly budget audits, technical support visits to schools, and collaborative planning to ensure funds are spent and not returned to the federal government. Wilson said carryover from the 2025 Title I allocation was about 6% and that those funds were amended to support extended-day and summer-school programs.
Board members asked for clarity on why allocations changed and whether the district has documentation to support the reported 85% completion rate for strategic-plan activities; staff said they would provide checklists and supporting artifacts. District staff also noted that while many districts are experiencing cuts, Orangeburg County remains "financially sound" at present and has not had audit findings in its recent state audits (2020 and 2024).
