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Montoursville Area SD hears annual federal-programs update; district uses Title funds mainly for early-grade reading
Summary
At a July 9 stakeholder briefing, district staff said Montoursville Area SD receives about $370,000 from Title I/II/IV combined (roughly 1% of the local budget) and prioritizes the money for early-grade reading teachers, staff training and class-size reduction; a recent federal monitoring visit produced one minor finding related to a dated family-engagement policy.
A district presenter told the Montoursville Area School District board on July 9 that the district receives roughly $370,000 total from federal Title I, II and IV programs and uses those dollars primarily to support early-grade reading instruction and to fund staff training and class-size reduction.
"We get about $370,000 total between the three programs," the presenter said, noting that federally restricted funds make up only about 1% of the district’s overall budget and are targeted to allowable uses such as reading and math intervention, staff professional development and class-size reduction in elementary grades.
The presenter explained how the federal equitable-services rules apply to private-school students in the district: if private-school students qualify for services, the district must set aside and provide an equitable share (the presenter said about $1,000 per qualifying student as an illustrative figure used in prior years).
The presenter also said the program underwent a federal monitoring visit this year and will receive one minor finding stemming from an annual update to family engagement policies: the district did not show the date on one board policy. "That was our one [minor finding]," the presenter said, and administration described the issue as a paperwork detail that will be corrected.
District leaders told the board that, given the small size of the Title allocation relative to the district budget, most of the federal money is used to supplement salaries and benefits for reading specialists and to pay stipends or contracted services so classroom staff are not pulled from their buildings. The presenter said the district has contracted with a neighboring school (identified in the meeting as a private-school services partner) in past years so that a teacher can travel to a private school and those services are paid with federal dollars under an equitable-services contract.
Board members asked clarifying questions about allowable uses, the timing of audits and whether curriculum purchases could be funded with Title dollars. Administration said curriculum purchases are allowable only if they align with the restricted federal purposes and that the district typically prioritizes staffing and training because it yields the best instructional return for struggling readers.
No formal action was taken; the presentation was informational and staff said they would return with any required contract documents or policy edits tied to the monitoring finding.
