Lewiston district pauses vote after presentation of $150,000‑a‑year housing navigator grant proposal

Jenny Derigan, the district’s federal programs coordinator, told the school committee the district is seeking to continue a housing navigator pilot through a four‑year SU Foundation grant that would provide $150,000 a year to pay for one full‑time housing navigator — a Community Concepts staffer dedicated to serving Lewiston Public Schools students and families — and discretionary funds to help families overcome barriers to stable housing.

Derigan said the partnership launched in March of last year under a Maine Housing pilot and has since handled referrals for 150 families and directly impacted 138 students. She told the committee referrals to the navigator have an 80% housing success rate, meaning families the district referred have often secured stable housing after engagement with the navigator and community partners.

Committee members and the public described the navigator work as a “warm handoff” that addresses attendance and engagement problems caused by housing instability. Member Harper asked whether the position would continue uninterrupted if the SU Foundation funds were not awarded; staff clarified the current Maine Housing grant expires June 30 and, without new grant funding, the project would end. Derigan also said Community Concepts currently employs the navigator and the contract would continue if grant funds are secured.

After Derigan’s presentation, Member Herd moved to approve submission of the SU Foundation application; several members of the public and multiple committee members objected to voting that night because the committee had been provided the wrong packet attachment and did not have the grant application or enough materials to review. A member of the public said, “Nobody in the public knows what you guys are voting on tonight.” Committee members agreed the public and members deserved the correct packet materials; the mover and seconder withdrew the motion. The superintendent said staff had already filed the application because a canceled meeting threatened the application deadline, but the committee agreed to postpone action to a future meeting when full materials would be available.

The project described in the presentation would continue a housing navigator role placed at Community Concepts, which Derigan said has a standing caseload for Lewiston families and coordinates with the district’s student resource center. Derigan described discretionary uses as narrowly targeted housing supports such as past utility payments, first month's rent, or temporary storage costs intended to get families to a stable lease agreement while the caseworker guides a longer‑term plan.

The committee did not vote on any funding or contract changes at the March 2 meeting and asked administration to return with full application materials, a clear discretionary‑funds budget line, and additional detail on referral criteria and performance metrics before any committee vote.

What’s next: Staff will provide the complete grant materials and a recommended motion at a future meeting; the district will not vote on committing to grant‑funded services until members have had time to review the application packet.