Board hears All In Virginia spending update and federal grant application overview; $420,000 transfer proposed for McKinney‑Vento

District staff provided multiple fiscal updates and answered board questions about sustainability and staffing.

Kimani Vaughn, director of elementary schools, said the All In Virginia initiative provided roughly $20 million to the division, with about 70% directed to high‑intensity tutoring, 20% to implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act and 10% to address chronic absenteeism. Vaughn reported over 4,000 hours of tutoring since the initiative began and 1,023 hours during FY26 through April 15; staff said nearly all allocated funds have been used to purchase approved instructional materials and that the division plans to fully expend remaining funds before the 06/30/2026 sunset.

Board members asked whether activities — particularly high‑intensity tutoring — could continue if state funding goes away. Superintendent (referred to in discussion as Doctor Robertson) and staff said attendance-related work has cultural and process supports that can be sustained locally, but that tutoring relies heavily on state funds; staff described leveraging carryover and other grant sources to avoid eliminating positions and said they do not plan to eliminate FTEs included in current grant applications, though one vacant 1.4 FTE will not be included.

Lorena Kelly, executive director for Elementary Teaching and Learning, presented an overview of FY26–27 federal grant applications required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. She listed the division’s planned submission amounts (preliminary estimates): Title I Part A approximately $15,200,000 (with a conservative reduction per VDOE guidance), Title I Part D roughly $94,000, Title II around $1.9 million, Title III about $289,000, and Title IV about $1.3 million. Kelly said final awards will be announced later and that the division will amend submissions if allocations change.

Chief Financial Officer Crystal Pate presented an informational budget transfer of $420,000 for FY25–26 to cover increased McKinney‑Vento transportation costs owing to rising numbers of students served. Pate said the transfer recommendation would draw from remaining elementary classroom funds in the Social Security line due to vacancies and that the division’s budget analyst will continue monitoring the costs.

What happens next: staff will submit federal grant applications by the VDOE submission deadline, amend them if actual allocations differ, and share FAQ and communications about attendance ‘nudges’ with the board. The $420,000 transfer is on the consent agenda and would be approved unless pulled for action.