Grants and Research
The Department of Educational Services oversees the opportunities for Grants and Research funding that are presented to the District. There are basically two forms of grants available to the District - entitlement and competitive.
Entitlement grants provide resources to all school districts from the state and federal government as appropriated by legislative mandate. Entitlement grants are approved for expenditure if applications are properly submitted and specific grant regulations are met. School districts may also apply for competitive grant programs, with awards being granted based on specific criteria designated in application procedures.
Competitive grants are awarded based on qualifications such as need, demographics, geographic location, and excellence or innovation of proposal design. Competitive grant programs may be sponsored by the state and federal government or by private funding sources, such as foundations and corporations. By entering this grant market, the District is in competition with a variety of entities for a limited amount of resources. The needs of the district must be carefully matched with the guidelines of the funding source to ensure a beneficial result. Currently, application for competitive grants is made as time allows. Proposals may be submitted if they address clearly defined district needs and can be fully developed and supported by the stakeholder groups that will be impacted by the new resources.
Title I
Title I is a federally funded education program which provides supplemental funds to assist eligible schools to meet educational goals and improve individual performance levels. Through Title I, under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the Federal government allocates funds to school districts around the country based on the number of low-income families in each district and school. Schools use their Title I funds to focus on improving the performance levels of the children in their school, focusing on closing the achievement gap between high and low performing students.