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District staff outline Title I/II/IV budgets, explain equitable-service rules
Summary
South Bend grant staff presented the districtfederal Title grants process, reported the Title I 2025—26 allocation at about $9.69 million, described Title II and IV budgets and explained how equitable services to non-public schools are calculated and monitored.
District grant staff on March 9 delivered a detailed update on federal Title grants (Title I, II and IV), the district's grant cycle and how equitable services for non-public schools are determined.
Director Darice Austin Phillips introduced the team and described the primary purposes of Title I (support for academically low-performing students, professional development and family engagement) and the mechanics of federal allocation, including the role of Census small-area income estimates and Oct. 1 enrollment counts in determining funding. She said the district will re-calculate counts to include "reduced" students in next year's Title I counts.
Why this matters: Federal Title funds make up core program support for low-income students and professional development. How the district calculates eligibility and spends those funds affects services in both public and non-public schools and must meet state and federal compliance rules.
Key figures presented by staff (as stated in the meeting): - Title I 2025—26 budget presented as $9,694,000 (includes allocations for non-public schools). (SEG 753—761) - Title II allocation referenced as approximately $788,000 for the 2025—27 period. (SEG 797—799) - Title IV budget shown as roughly $451,885. (SEG 817)
Staff explained timelines and compliance deadlines: grant writing begins after pre-application approval, the Indiana Department of Education reviews applications in September—November, and obligation and liquidation deadlines are Sept. 30 and Dec. 15 respectively. Title II and IV have multi-year obligation periods and different carryover rules than Title I.
Equitable services: The district explained the federal requirement to provide comparable Title services to eligible students in non-public schools, how equitable shares are calculated by identifying eligible students in district attendance areas, and the district's steps to consult with non-public school officials in planning those services.
Consultant role: Madzi Education Group (consultants) described work to build district capacity, strengthen internal controls and identify competitive grant opportunities. The consultants noted their role in drafting applications and advising on best practices for fund stewardship.
Board questions and follow-up: Trustees asked about recurring negative balances in Title accounts and the district's process for monitoring reimbursements and internal controls. CFO and grant staff said prior over-expenditures and delayed reimbursements had contributed to cash pressures; staff credited improved reimbursement timeliness with recent cash gains and committed to continued remediation and one-on-one briefings for trustees who requested them.
Quote: "We have to spend 85% of what we say we were going to expend and a lot of times we fall short of that," said Darice Austin Phillips, describing the accountability expectations tied to Title funds.
What remains unclear in the record: staff presented a figure for non-public school grant awards that appears in the transcript as "3,39269,000"; that figure was unclear in the meeting record and will need confirmation in meeting materials or subsequent staff documents.
Next steps: Staff will finalize allocations in consultation with schools, return with any amendments and provide requested one-on-one briefings and follow-ups on internal-control remediation.
