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Mass. Commission for the Blind to use $335,000 reallotment for one‑year pilot projects, staff say
Summary
MCB staff told the Rehabilitation Council they received an additional $335,000 in RSA reallotment funds for one‑year pilot projects starting in October and described how federal fiscal timing and reimbursements will shape FY26 planning.
John Oliver, an MCB staff presenter, told the Rehabilitation Council that the agency received notice of an additional $335,000 in reallotment funds from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration. "We also received word last week that MCB is going to receive an additional $335,000 for our reallotment funding for special projects that are to last for about a year," he said.
Oliver said the agency will sit down with its CFO and contracts director to model how many consumers the funds can serve and to design pilot programs that can be contracted and launched within the one‑year spending window. He said the money will be used for short‑term pilots rather than personnel or multi‑year programs, consistent with RSA reallotment rules.
The presenter outlined the broader budget context: federal fiscal timing and continuing resolutions can delay initial allotments and reduce the first distribution agencies receive. Oliver said MCB is tracking expiring FY24 funds that must be used by Sept. 30 and preparing to draw FY26 funds beginning Oct. 1. He warned that if continuing resolutions remain in place, RSA may distribute smaller first allotments and make up differences later when final budgets are enacted.
Agency staff are also pursuing Social Security Administration reimbursements for wages tied to placed clients, Oliver said, describing roughly $150,000 in reimbursement requests currently pending. He said reimbursement proceeds can be used strategically to extend VR grant dollars and to cover allowable expenses.
A council member asked how reallotment funds are allocated. Oliver explained that RSA gathers returned or unused federal VR funds from agencies nationwide, then offers those reallotment funds to agencies that demonstrate both the capacity to spend the money within one year and a record of drawing down prior allocations. He said RSA limits allowable uses and evaluates past performance when assigning reallotment awards.
The council did not take any formal votes on funding decisions during the meeting; Oliver said staff will return with concrete pilot proposals at a future quarterly meeting once financial modeling is complete.
