Board hears ESEA grant briefing and migrant-education outreach as food-service reimbursements hinge on eligibility rates

The Cordova City School District board received a briefing on federal programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and discussed how migrant and low-income student counts affect food-service reimbursements and grant allocations.

Jason summarized the district's primary federal grants—Title I-A (low-income), Title I-C (migrant), Title II-A (instructional support) and Title IV-A (academic enrichment)—and stressed that many federal programs are focused on staffing and staff development but the grants themselves increasingly provide less funding relative to rising costs.

On migrant education and the community eligibility provision for meals, Jason said maintaining a high migrant percentage in particular schools is important to maximize the district's reimbursement rates and discounts for food service. He noted Eckles is about 52% migrant and CHS is just over 40%, and explained that migrant enrollment carries a three-year certification while community eligibility is a five-year enrollment. He also described a federal multiplier (about 1.665) used in some calculations that can push an aggregated qualifying-percent figure higher when combined with other measures.

Trustees and staff discussed outreach: enrollment in migrant programs requires families to complete specific activities and forms, and staff reported ongoing efforts by school leads to help families sign up. Board members encouraged trustees to advocate in the community and recognized staff who run outreach efforts.

What happens next: staff will monitor final counts when state numbers are released (estimated in September for next-year allocations) and will re-certify community eligibility when appropriate to preserve food-service discounts and grant funding.