Superintendent reports flat enrollment, warns of projected Title I funding drop

The Nantucket School Committee heard its superintendent’s monthly update on March 10, including a district enrollment headcount that held steady at 1,654 students and early warnings about federal Title I funding.

“Our enrollment for March has remained exactly the same as February: 1,654 students,” the superintendent reported, noting small school-level shifts (Nantucket Elementary School down three students, CPS up two, Nantucket High School down one).

The superintendent described priorities presented by new Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez and by the secretary of education transition, and said the district is participating in federal PRISM literacy grants. She said workshop and conference sessions emphasized student-centered learning, hiring and retention, and measuring multiple indicators of student readiness.

On federal funding, she warned the Department of Education projects a reduction in Title I funds linked to census-based allocations. “The United States education department indicated that there would be a 10% drop in Massachusetts share of the national poverty level from 1.45 to 1.31,” she said, and estimated Nantucket’s Title I allocation for the coming year at about $131,000. She added the department will provide district-level data in March to project potential reductions.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the census reference; the superintendent confirmed the current calculations are based on the 2020 federal census.

The superintendent also highlighted state-level discussions on alternative voca­tional licensure and said a board meeting in March will consider licensure changes aimed at easing hiring for vocational teachers. She closed by recognizing student and staff accomplishments, including a student finalist in the Massachusetts Poetry Out Loud competition and a coordinator of special education who earned a doctorate.

The committee did not take action on funding adjustments at the meeting; staff said they will incorporate any state data into budget planning and discuss implications with the finance subcommittee.