A Principal's Perspective – Funding Field Trips with Title I Funds
Adapted by Zach Stumbo in part from the April 2024 Title 1 Newsletter, written by Erin Sudduth.
Springtime is a common time to take students out beyond the walls of the school building. The weather is getting better, many cultural events or exhibits are planned during this time, and teachers and students are looking forward to celebrating their hard work, achievements and transitions in education. But what are appropriate ways schools may use homeless education funds to pay for field trips? .
While it can be allowable to use homeless education funds – such as the McKinney-Vento Set-aside, Title I, Part A Homeless Set-aside or American Rescue Plan: Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) funds – for field trips, schools should do so with caution and planning. Inappropriate federal spending on field trips for purposes other than education is prohibited and can result in a required action to pay back funds in the event the district is selected for monitoring.
It is recommended to consider adopting a procedure whereby all federally funded field trips require a lesson plan to be approved. Staff should be able to show strong evidence of planning before, during and after the field trip to demonstrate educational value.
Field trips funded by federal dollars cannot be used purely for entertainment purposes or as rewards or incentives. The use of funds for those purposes would be in violation of the Uniform Grants Guidance allowable costs standard in 2 CFR 200.403 and standards around entertainment found in 2 CFR 200.438. Additionally, 702 KAR 3:220 requires that educational field trips paid with homeless education funds be used outside of instructional hours.
Another point to consider when planning field trips is lunchtime. Consider developing a clear plan to feed children while traveling that is in line with federal fund requirements. Think outside the box to find alternatives for feeding students while traveling, such as general funds or brown bag lunches from the cafeteria. During the summertime, check on the availability of summer feeding programs. Student lunches for field trips should not be purchased with federal funds for homeless education without prior approval from KDE.
Newly Signed Legislation Removes Costs for Kentucky Birth Certificates for Homeless Students
On April 5, Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 100, bipartisan legislation aimed in part at reducing barriers for homeless individuals and students in need of a Kentucky birth certificate.
Under this new law, homeless individuals and homeless students will no longer be required to pay for copies of birth certificates. Homeless youth can have their status verified by a director or designee of a nonprofit agency serving the homeless community, a local homeless liaison, a school social worker, TRIO director (or designee) or a financial aid administrator from an institution of higher education. Additional details and processes are expected from Vital Statistics once this law goes into effect on July 15, 2024.
End of Year KDE Data Training Available on KDE Media Portal
On April 23, state coordinator Zach Stumbo and KDE consultant Margalee Conlee presented information about the end-of-year data processes for Infinite Campus. The recorded webinar is available on the KDE Media Portal. The homeless education presentation was the first segment after the introduction.
While watching this webinar is voluntary, it contains important information about reporting required data elements for students experiencing homelessness. New information presented in the webinar included the need for Infinite Campus end dates to be listed as 6/30/2024, as the software is not currently auto-populating the date.
 Representatives from KDE, Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS), the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG), and Goodwill Industries gathered to celebrate the launch of “Hand Up for Housing” in Lexington. At the event were, from left: Zach Stumbo and Jennifer White (KDE); Charlie Lanter (LFUCG); T.C. Johnson (FCPS); Rena Sharpe, Jennifer Bergman and LaRee Jacobs (Goodwill Industries); Jonathon Wright (LFUCG). Picture courtesy of T.C. Johnson.
Fayette County Schools Work with Partners to Meet Housing Needs
On April 15, State Coordinator Zach Stumbo and KDE consultant Jennifer White attended the “Hand Up for Housing” event in Lexington as guests of Fayette County Public Schools. The event served to kick off a partnership with the local government and Goodwill Industries to meet the housing needs of students experiencing homelessness.
On March 7, the local council approved funding for housing assistance and eviction prevention services, including $150,000 to Goodwill, which will pay the first month’s rent and a security deposit on new units for families identified as homeless by Fayette County Public Schools. This partnership will be funded by interest earned on local funding; no federal or state tax dollars will be used.
In addition to supporting access to housing, the “Hand Up for Housing” program offers comprehensive support for students’ caregivers to ensure they can continue to afford housing, budget responsibly and seek more gainful employment. The initial $150,000 will be supplemented with an additional $250,000 at a later date. In order to access these supports, Fayette County family members of McKinney-Vento eligible students should reach out to local homeless liaison T.C. Johnson.
American Rescue Plan: Homeless Children and Youth Deadline Approaching
On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) into law. In recognition of the extraordinary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students experiencing homelessness, the ARP included an unprecedented $800 million to support the specific needs of homeless children and youth via the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief – Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) Fund.
The U.S. Department of Education released ARP-HCY funds in two separate disbursements – ARP Homeless I and ARP Homeless II. The funds were intended to support the increased identification of children and youth experiencing homelessness and connect them to wrap-around and educational support services. These funds must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2024.
KDE will continue monitoring local educational agency drawdowns of ARP-HCY funds. As a reminder, ARP-HCY funds must be spent or obligated by the deadline. If you would like to discuss ideas about how to allocate the remaining funds before the deadline, please reach out to State Coordinator Zach Stumbo.
 State coordinator Zach Stumbo presents at the KASA Education, Law and Finance Conference. Picture by Jami Ward (Paintsville Independent Schools).
Presentations on Students Experiencing Homelessness
State Coordinator Zach Stumbo was invited to speak to Kentucky school leaders at two events sponsored by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA). The first event was the Chief Academic Officer Summit held in Louisville on Feb. 9. The second event was the Education, Law, and Finance Conference held in Lexington on Mar. 21.
At each event, Stumbo engaged with school and district leaders from across the Commonwealth and provided technical assistance regarding educational services for students experiencing homelessness.
The sessions covered the fundamentals of the McKinney-Vento Act and underscored how school administrators and district leaders play a pivotal role in ensuring the effective implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act in Kentucky schools. Attendees received technical assistance involving the educational rights and support for homeless students, supports for identifying homeless students, information about guaranteeing immediate enrollment, facilitating access to educational services and resources for targeting chronic absenteeism. Both presentations were well received and offered an opportunity for meaningful questions.
|
