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Dear Colleagues,
As you may have been reading about recently, we’ve been waiting to hear more from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) about whether KDE and 13 districts could continue to spend the nearly $56 million in COVID relief money on projects USED had already approved last year.
On March 28, KDE received a letter from the U.S. Secretary of Education stating that the time to spend all federal funds related to COVID relief was amended to end on March 28. This action came after Kentucky was notified by USED in September 2024 that it could spend its remaining funds through March 2026.
So far, the results haven’t been very positive. To date, we have only received approval to spend almost $353,000 on four projects in Boone County. USED has denied extending funding for almost $18.7 million in other projects from Boone County, Caverna Independent, Christian County, Clinton County, Covington Independent, Knox County, Letcher County, Perry County, Pike County and Trigg County.
Requests to reconsider projects housed here at KDE haven’t done any better than it has for our districts. Almost every one of our projects – including much-needed projects at the Kentucky School for the Deaf – have been denied. We are waiting for a response on two projects – which includes funding to help support before-school, after-school and summer school learning for a select number of schools and an adaptive kindergarten readiness project.
While I am thankful that USED has approved four projects in Boone County – and I remain hopeful about the projects that we have not received an answer about yet – I am extremely disappointed in the almost $30 million in other projects that have been denied. KDE is actively following the process outlined by USED by submitting yet another set of appeals directly to U.S. Secretary of Education McMahon, seeking a reconsideration of this denied funding for projects that directly impact our students.
Taking away dollars that would go to help some of the Commonwealth’s neediest students is difficult for me to understand. Taking back these funds after districts have already spent the money is putting some of you in financial situations you could not have foreseen, especially this late in the funding year.
Please know that KDE and I will fight for all our districts and continue to use every avenue we have to try to get those funds back to you.
As always, thank you for being …
All In,
Robbie Fletcher
Commissioner of Education
Kentucky’s ESEA Waiver Request Approved
The U.S. Department of Education has approved the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) request to waive the following program requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA):
- Carryover limitation in section 1127(b) of the ESEA for school year 2024-2025 Title I, Part A funds that will become carryover funds on Oct. 1, 2025 (Project L). This waives the requirement that limits KDE’s ability to grant to its local education agencies (LEAs) a waiver of the 15% Title I, Part A carryover limitation in section 1127(a) to once every three years.
- Period of availability of funds in Section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). This will allow KDE to extend the period of availability of school year 2023-2024 (Project K) funds for the programs listed below in which Kentucky participates under its approved consolidated ESEA state plan. The period of availability will be extended until June 30, 2026. School and district staff who work with these programs must continue to provide assistance to the same populations served by the respective programs. The programs are:
- Title I, Part A of the ESEA (Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs), including the portions of the state’s Title I, Part A award used to carry out section 1003 school improvement, and Title I, Part D, Subpart 2;
- Title I, Part C of the ESEA (Education of Migratory Children);
- Title I, Part D, Subpart 1 of the ESEA (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk);
- Title II, Part A of the ESEA (Supporting Effective Instruction);
- Title III, Part A of the ESEA (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement and Academic Achievement);
- Title IV, Part A of the ESEA (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants); and
- Title V, Part B, Subpart 2 of the ESEA (Rural and Low-Income School Program).
The revised 2023-2024 award notifications will be posted to the KDE Federal Grants webpage by Aug. 29.
Please contact the following KDE staff with program-specific questions:
Fiscal Year 2026 Community Education Request for Application Posted
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is issuing a request for application (RFA) to implement local community education initiatives for a maximum of four grants.
Community education is defined in KRS 160.155 as a program in which a public building – including a public elementary and secondary school – is used as a community center operated by a local education agency in cooperation with other groups in the community, community organizations and local government agencies to provide educational, recreational, cultural, healthcare and other related community services in accordance with the needs, interests and concerns of the community.
Grants will be awarded based on the availability of funds. Four grantees will be awarded $20,000 to employ a full-time community education director. The community education director must implement a comprehensive community education initiative countywide. Only one grant per county will be awarded.
Counties that have more than one school district must collaborate in implementing the community education initiative for all schools and communities. Applicants are required to provide a 25% ($5,000) cash match. Grant and match funds can only be used for salary to hire a full-time community education director.
General Information
Applications will only be accepted from public school districts that submit a plan to implement community education activities countywide. If multiple school districts are located within the county, then all school districts must be involved in the development and design of the application. Only one grant per county may be submitted for consideration. If more than one grant from the same county is submitted, both will be disqualified and not scored.
Current community education grantees are not eligible to apply and do not need to reapply to maintain your grant award.
Grant Period and Contract
The grant is anticipated to begin Sept. 1, 2025. Pending funding availability, community education grants are renewable annually if all grant assurances and requirements are met.
Grant Requirements
A public school district may receive funding for a community school program if the following criteria established in KRS 160.157 are met:
- Submits an application for approval;
- Submits a plan to the Kentucky Department of Education, approved by the local board of education, which outlines the proposed community education program, including procedures for obtaining the involvement and cooperation of other agencies and groups in identifying and recommending programs for meeting locally determined needs;
- Establishes an advisory council to assist in conducting community needs assessments and recommending program priorities to district leaders; and
- Employs one full-time community education director.
Submission
To assist applicants in preparing a quality application, please review the prerecorded technical assistance webinar that addresses essential grant requirements, budget preparation and state guidance. The deadline to submit questions is June 17, 2025, at 4 p.m. ET. All questions must be sent to the KDE RFP email inbox.
The deadline to submit applications is July 17, 2025, at 4 p.m. ET. The application can be found on the KDE Competitive Grants webpage.
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