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Bangor officials outline Title funding use and warn of potential federal changes
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Harris Medberg told the School Committee the district receives nearly $2 million in ESSA title funding used mainly for supplemental staff; she described how Title allocations are determined, noted Fruit Street School will not qualify for Title I in FY27, and said some federal title streams face possible cuts.
At the June 24 meeting, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Harris Medberg presented an ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) funding overview and answered committee questions about how federal grant dollars are allocated and spent in Bangor.
Harris Medberg said the district receives nearly $2,000,000 in title funding, which pays salaries and benefits for staff who provide supplemental reading and math services and some supplies; she described Title I as the district's largest grant and explained allocations are based on counts of students qualifying for free and reduced price lunch. "When we receive title allocation, we also have to share that allocation with any private schools that want to take that allocation," she said, noting the private‑school set‑aside currently equals about 13% of the total allocation.
She told the committee Fruit Street School will not qualify for Title I services in fiscal year 2027 because it did not meet the required monthly threshold, though the district will continue coaching supports there. Harris Medberg said Title II (professional development) will fund two instructional coaches this year with about $230,000 allocated, Title III (multilingual learners) provided roughly $14,000 for the district, and Title IV is a smaller stream that the district typically reallocates to Title I to maximize services.
Board members asked about family engagement uses (1% set‑aside) and whether the district could use classroom communication apps such as Seesaw with title funds; Harris Medberg said privacy and confidentiality concerns had slowed Seesaw adoption but the district remained open to ideas. When asked how many students experienced homelessness over the year, she estimated "usually between 100 and 125." She also said McKinney‑Vento services (homeless liaison, transportation) are part of the grant responsibilities.
Committee members raised questions about federal changes: Harris Medberg said Title I appeared relatively stable but other titles (II–IV) could face restructuring in Congress; she said she was monitoring possible shifts, including a proposal discussed at the federal level to move some funding streams.
The committee did not refuse funds; Harris Medberg asked whether the committee wanted to continue using funds in the same way and received verbal assent to proceed.
