Title I News

July 2025

Volume 9, Issue 7

"High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectations."

― Charles F. Kettering

As we continue our shared mission to support every learner’s growth, we focus on the vital role of effective collaboration in driving optimal student success. When families, educators and communities work together under the common belief that all students can succeed, we create a powerful framework where those high expectations become achievable.

Continue to explore how strong partnerships and open communication can help every student reach their full potential. This newsletter highlights how partnerships with the homeless liaison can help ensure continuity of supports for homeless students over the summer. The Principal’s Perspective article explains how open communication between schools and parents helps drive the use of parent and family engagement funds.

Statewide Federal Programs Training Summary

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) hosted a virtual statewide federal programs training on June 17-18.

Federal program coordinators, finance officers and superintendents received timely updates from Bonnie Graham and Shane Morrisey from The Bruman Group. The Bruman Group is a legal firm that is nationally recognized for its federal grants management and education regulatory and legislative practice.

Graham and Morrisey shared information regarding requirements and updates to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations and Uniform Grant Guidance; supplanting, blending and braiding of funds; the compliance supplement and federal updates. Attendees asked questions surrounding purchasing food and the disposal of equipment and supplies. The training ended with information on how to prepare for audits and monitoring, as well as common findings.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the training and for providing valuable feedback!

Summer Help for Homeless Youth

Summer can be a challenging time for students experiencing homelessness, as they may lose access to essential school resources such as daily meals and a stable environment. For many families, the absence of consistent support can exacerbate issues like food insecurity, a lack of affordable childcare and limited opportunities for enrichment. Districts can play a pivotal role in mitigating these challenges by leveraging Title I funds and ensuring a network of support services remains in place throughout the summer months.

If you still have 310L homeless set-aside funds to spend down before the start of a new school year, consider these strategies to ensure homeless students stay supported over the summer and come back to school ready to thrive:

Ensuring Continuity of Support Services

Keep in regular contact with homeless students and families through phone calls, emails and outreach. Connect them with shelters, social services and other resources. Partner closely with your district’s homeless liaison to coordinate support so that families have access to services when they need them the most.

Providing Summer Enrichment Programs

Provide educational and recreational programs – such as sports, arts and tutoring – to keep students engaged and reduce pressure on families. Ensure homeless students can access summer school and extracurricular programs by removing enrollment barriers. For older students, partner with local businesses to offer job training, internships and employment opportunities that provide income and skill development.

Making Mental Health Support Accessible

Many families experiencing homelessness face emotional and psychological stress, which can affect their well-being and academic success. Work with local mental health professionals to offer counseling services, particularly for uninsured or underinsured families. This support can provide a much-needed outlet for students and parents navigating challenging circumstances.

Principal's Perspective: Funding Family Engagement – A Principal's Guide to ESSA 1116

Understand the rules: Did you know that Section 1116(a)(3)(A) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that school districts with Title I, Part A allocations exceeding $500,000 must reserve at least 1% of their total allocation for parent and family engagement? From that reservation, at least 90% of those funds must be distributed to Title I schools to support programming for parents (with priority given to high-need schools). However, how these funds are spent is up to school leaders, working closely with parents, to ensure they are used in ways that best support their students.

To meet federal requirements and, more importantly, to drive meaningful outcomes for students, families of Title I students must be involved in determining how these funds are used. Schools must provide opportunities for parents to share their input, whether through meetings, surveys or consultations with school personnel. This collaboration gives parents a voice and ensures that engagement activities align with the real concerns and priorities of families. Schools then direct these funds to allowable programs and events that address family needs.

Each year, schools are required to host an annual meeting to explain the details of Title I Part A funding, parent rights and how these resources can be best used to support student achievement. But engagement shouldn’t end there. Two-way communication with parents should be on-going throughout the school year to shape engagement activities. Schools should then plan engagement events based on parent feedback – whether it’s providing workshops on monitoring student progress, resources for supporting learning at home or events that strengthen communication between families and teachers.

To maximize impact, schools also should consider aligning parent engagement activities with their school improvement goals and evaluating their effectiveness throughout the year. This gives principals the confidence that parent and family engagement events are a strategic driver for each student’s academic success.

Stay tuned for next month’s Principals’ Perspective, when we’ll dive deeper into aligning your parent and family engagement events with your identified student needs.

National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program and Application

The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) – formerly the National Title I Association – selects examples of superior, federally funded school programs for national recognition through its National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program.

Every year, states can identify up to two Distinguished ESEA Schools in three possible categories:

• Category 1: Exceptional student performance and academic growth for two or more consecutive years;
• Category 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups for two or more consecutive years; and
• Category 3: Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g., homeless, migrant, English learners, etc.).

KDE is now accepting applications for schools for Categories 1, 2 and 3. Schools interested in applying for consideration must submit a completed application signed by the school principal and district superintendent by the deadline of Aug. 8. If selected as a finalist, KDE staff will conduct a site visit to interview the principal, selected staff and students.

Two National ESEA Distinguished Schools from Category 1, 2 and/or 3 will be notified by email of their selection in November. For more information, email Tara Rodriguez or call (502) 564-3791, ext. 4042.

Open Title I, Part A Projects and Associated Deadlines

Please review the table below and make note of the approaching deadlines regarding the obligation and expenditure of funds from all open Title I, Part A projects.

In This Issue

• Statewide Federal Programs Training Summary
• Kentucky’s ESEA Waiver Request Approved
• Understanding Expenditure Object Codes
• Summer Help for Homeless Youth
• Principal’s Perspective: Funding Family Engagement - A Principal’s Guide to ESSA 1116
• National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program and Application
• Coordinator’s Year at a Glance

Kentucky's ESEA Waiver Request Approved

The U.S. Department of Education has approved KDE’s request to waive the following Title I, Part A 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 Title I, Part A. The period of availability will be extended until June 30, 2026.

The revised 2023-2024 award notifications will be posted to the KDE Federal Grants webpage by Aug. 29. The full announcement including a list of all impacted programs is available in the June 17 Commissioner’s Weekly Message.

Expenditure Object Code Descriptions

When developing the Title I, Part A application in the Grant Management Application and Planning (GMAP) system and corresponding budget in Enterprise ERP (EERP), it’s important to use the most appropriate expenditure object codes. KDE’s Chart of Accounts and Segment Descriptions includes descriptions of each object code and examples of items that should be assigned to that object code.

The resource is available on the Fund Balances, Revenues and Expenditures, Chart of Accounts and Indirect Cost Rates webpage and is updated each year. The FY2025-2026 chart of accounts and other related resources is effective July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. The document is typically over 70 pages long and includes information beyond expenditure object code descriptions. Search the phrase “Expenditure Object Codes” to quickly locate the Chart of Accounts section (around p. 35).

Coordinator's Year at a Glance – Suggested Tasks for July

• Meet with district financial staff to reconcile fiscal issues prior to the end-of-year closeout. This will help ensure the district will not exceed the 15% carryover limitation.
• Review time and effort documentation for staff paid partially with Title I funds to determine the actual percentage of time spent working on the Title I, Part A program. If the percentage of time does not align with the full-time equivalency listed in the Grant Management Application and Planning system, the application should be updated. Similar adjustments must be made in Enterprise ERP (EERP) to ensure Title I funds are paid for the accurate percentage of the employee’s salary.
• Determine roles and responsibilities of appropriate district representatives to determine comparability requirements.
• Gather data on private school services and evaluate programs for the upcoming year.
• Work with Title I schools to review program implementation and effectiveness and plan for the upcoming year.
• Review and update district parent and family engagement policy based on data (e.g., evaluations), as needed.

Monthly Title I Webinar

The June webinar and accompanying PowerPoint are available on the Title I, Part A Documents and Resources webpage. During the webinar, information centered around an overview of the 2024-2025 consolidated monitoring season, common monitoring findings and Lincoln County’s experience with the monitoring process.

The July webinar will be held at 10 a.m. ET July 31. A reminder email will be sent before the webinar.

We value your feedback and would like to learn more about what is helpful and what you would like to see more of in the monthly webinars. Anonymous feedback and topic suggestions may be submitted through the optional Title I Monthly Webinar Feedback Survey. The feedback will be used to help ensure the monthly webinars meet your needs.

CONTACTS

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