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Leander ISD details federal spending and warns of uneven ESSA trends
Summary
District staff said federal funds support personnel across special education and CTE, noted declines in some ESSA allocations over four cycles and a rise in Title III, and described plans to shift some positions to general fund amid uncertainty in federal allocations.
District staff presented a multi-year picture of federal allocations and how the money is used in Leander ISD, followed by trustee questions during the public hearing portion of the agenda.
Presenters said that over recent grant cycles, most ESSA funding streams have decreased while Title III (English Learner support) showed steady growth. They reported that federal dollars largely support personnel: "federal funds fully or partially support 82 special education positions across the district," a presenter said, and highlighted that contracted services (translation, evaluation, specialized consultants) are significant non-personnel expenditures for special education.
Staff outlined how Title I funds are used (parent and family engagement, McKinney-Vento services, campus personnel), Title II supports professional development and curriculum specialists, and Perkins V supports CTE program size and quality. The presenters said the district uses stakeholder surveys, direct outreach and existing committees to gather input for grant development and described pilot programs and capacity-building efforts tied to Title III and multilingual educator expansion.
Trustees asked how administration collects stakeholder input, especially from families connected to Title III and special education programs. Presentation slides and staff answers described surveys, targeted email outreach (rather than only using ParentSquare), DWIC/DWIG committee feedback, principal outreach and a standing process for compiling data into a comprehensive needs assessment. One trustee asked about plans if federal funding declines; staff said they intend to move six special-education positions currently funded by federal funds to the general fund next year and to pursue cost-effective service models.
No formal action was taken; the public hearing closed with trustees thanking staff for detailed responses and asking for follow-up material.
