The U.S. Department of Education has released some $45 million in funding to the State of Kansas that was delayed earlier this month for administrative review.
Angela Deines, Communications Specialist with the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) confirmed the news:
“We received notification from the U.S. Department of Education that we will be getting the funds restored for the Title programs listed below. Frank Harwood (Deputy Commissioner of KSDE) just confirmed that we have not received the actual allocation of those funds yet.”
The programs that will receive the funding:
- Title I, Part C: Migrant Education
- Title I-C for migrant education provides support to students from families whose jobs in industries like fisheries and food processing necessitate that they live in different states during different seasons.
- Title II, Part A: Teacher and School Leader Supports
- Title II-A funds, also known as Supporting Effective State Instruction grants, pay for districts to offer professional development that helps educators and administrators learn new curriculum approaches, instructional practices, and technology tools.
- Title III, Part A: English Learners
- Title III-A funding covers a wide range of services for English learners, whose number represents Kansas’ fastest-growing population of public school students. Under civil rights law, school districts must ensure students who are still learning English have equal access to education, as their peers do.
- Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment
- Title IV, Part A improves students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and local communities to 1) provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; 2) improve school conditions for student learning; and 3) improve the use of technology to improve academic achievement and digital literacy of all students.
- Title IV, Part B: 21st Century Before and After-School Programs
- Title IV-B is also known as the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. It provides federal funding for out-of-school time programs, particularly in high-poverty and low-performing schools. These programs offer academic enrichment, tutorial services, and other activities to help students meet Kansas and local academic standards, reinforce their regular school day learning, and engage families in their children’s education.
The Kansas school districts affected and the amounts they’ll be receiving are listed here.
Lawrence School Board President GR Gordon-Ross echoed the sentiment of school leaders statewide:
“I’m grateful that the freeze has been lifted and hope we can now focus on delivering the support our students and staff need without further disruption.”
