Department says federal grant notices cleared and federal budget outlook improved; webinar with USDOE scheduled

Department staff told the board that all federal Grant Award Notifications (GANs) are now in and that the department will participate in a U.S. Department of Education webinar next Tuesday to review restored funds and any new program stipulations.

Staff said that several programs whose funding had been withheld are now being reinstated, and that department lawyers and program staff are evaluating any specific conditions attached to those funds. The department also reported that the U.S. Senate’s draft fiscal‑year 2027 appropriations restores cuts contained in the president’s budget and increases Title I funding; the department said work will continue as the House produces its proposal.

Staff addressed concerns about a possible federal government shutdown, saying that the department’s major federal programs (Title I, special education, child nutrition) are funded under separate authorizing legislation and are not immediately affected by short-term continuing resolutions; the department characterized its federal funding stream as secure for the current cycle. The department also noted that the U.S. Secretary of Education is conducting state visits; Alabama’s date has not been set and staff said visits typically come with short notice for security reasons.

The department said it expects federal funds to flow soon after the webinar with the U.S. Department of Education and that program offices will communicate any newly required stipulations to districts once they have been clarified.