Kansas Education Commissioner outlines impact of withheld federal Title funds (Link)

TOPEKA — Kansas education officials were notified earlier this week that payment to states for certain federal funds already appropriated by Congress for student learning, teacher development and other student-centered services has been delayed indefinitely by the U.S. Department of Education (USED).

“I received a message from the federal department of education late in the day on Monday, June 30, informing me they are reviewing funding for several Title programs,” said Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Education Commissioner. “Normally we would receive notice by July 1 that these funds are being awarded for the coming school year. Now, the funding for these programs remains uncertain as we wait for the U.S. Department of Education’s review of these programs.”

Watson said nearly $50 million in Title funding for Kansas districts is impacted within the following programs:

• Title I, Part C: Migrant Education = $6.2 million

• 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 = $15.8 million

  • 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 = $4.8 million

  • Title III-A funding covers a wide range of services for English learners, whose number represent 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 = $8.3 million

  • 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 = $7.8 million

  • 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.

“Cuts to Title II-A and Title IV-A specifically may cause acute challenges for rural school districts in Kansas,” Watson said. “Most rural schools receive federal funds from the Rural Education Achievement Program, or REAP, and get extra flexibility to spend funds from those two broader programs as they see fit.”

Watson said he received a separate message from the U.S. Department of Education that stated adult basic and literacy education programs, administered by the Kansas Board of Regents for GED completion and adult education programs, will not be going forward at this time.

“We don’t know when the review of these and other programs will be completed or if we will receive the already approved funding,” Watson said. He added there is no timetable for when these funds will be released, if ever, and Kansas districts should plan accordingly.