Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the ESSA Allocations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MSAD1 director: preliminary ESSA allocations expected week of April 27; committee proposed May 5 review
Summary
Angela Hardy told the April 14 curriculum committee that Maine DOE preliminary ESSA (Title I/II/IV/V) allocations are expected the week of April 27 and proposed a May 5 committee meeting to review a draft budget before the full board considers it in June.
Angela Hardy, MSAD1 director of curriculum, briefed the curriculum committee on April 14 about the timing and process for federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) allocations for fiscal year 2027.
Hardy said the Maine Department of Education had received preliminary federal allocation files and that district‑level preliminary figures should be available the week of April 27. "Then I take that information and I prepare a draft budget and plan based on academic data, student enrollment data and district goals," she told the committee.
Hardy said most ESSA (Title I, II, IV and Title V where applicable) dollars in the district are dedicated to staffing, and timely allocation information helps administrators decide whether to post positions for expected retirements. She proposed moving the committee's regular May meeting from May 12 to May 5 so members could review the draft allocation before the board's June meeting and any final approval.
The director explained district methods to stabilize Title funding estimates: the use of a prior multi‑year "special provisions" baseline and a direct‑certification rate multiplied by 1.6 to reduce volatility from annual form completion by families. Hardy said MSAD1 now sends an anonymous electronic family survey between October and December to collect relevant data and that the district reports those figures to the state.
Hardy cautioned that a bill passed the same day could have implications for ED279 reporting or funding formulas and said staff would analyze the bill's effects once summary guidance is available. She committed to produce ESSA materials for the committee's proposed May 5 meeting so members can review the draft allocations and ask questions before any board action in June.
No formal budget vote or change to district policy occurred in the meeting; the items discussed were presented as an FYI and scheduling proposal.
