Georgetown ISD staff are anticipating that the district will receive at least $160,000 less in grant funds for the 2024-25 school year for a variety of reasons, per an Oct. 7 workshop update.

In a nutshell

With some COVID-19 federal grant programs expiring this year, as well as per-district allocation reductions due to increased participation, the school district is anticipating fewer grant funds for district operations this year.

Janna Jackson, GISD Director of State and Federal Programs, said the district received the following federal grants that came from COVID-19-era programs:These funds were intended to support school districts in purchasing safety equipment and making safety upgrades during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tiffani Walker, the district's executive director of state and federal programs, said federal grants typically either supplement or supplant district programs, with the latter meaning to take the place of local funding.

There is also a $33,000 reduction in the amount of grant funding through the Every Student Succeeds Act that includes Title I, Title II, Title III and Title IV funding, which Walker said is used to provide additional resources at campuses with student populations that are 40% or more economically disadvantaged; for improving educational services to students in facilities for the neglected or delinquent; staffing qualified teachers and principals; bilingual and immigrant education; and support for Advanced Placement testing as well as student enrichment.


What they're saying

With regard to the decrease in Title I funding, Superintendent Devin Padavil said allocations for districts across the state decreased with no explanation.

"Title I funds across the state, I would assume across the nation, diminished, and we found that out in the middle of the year," Padavil said. "I think every superintendent was saying we were all caught on our heels by it. We just didn't see it coming, nor was there an explanation for it."

Wes Vanicek, chief of construction services and future readiness initiatives, said other grants, like the Carl Perkins grant that funds career and technical education, are set allocations that are seeing more entities apply and receive funds, reducing the per-district amount.


Some context

Each year, the Texas Education Agency releases a list of available grants for schools to apply for, Padavil said, and school districts who regularly receive grants are provided estimates for what they might receive in upcoming years as long as they continue to apply for them, as they are not competitive grants.

Public schools can also apply for outside grants that may be competitive, he said, to help offset the cost of some programs.