Policy 6424 – Title I Programming

Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA/ESEA) is a federal funding program designed to close achievement gaps and ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. The Department of Public Instruction allocates Title 1 funds to school districts and each district distributes the funds to individual public schools to provide additional academic support for students. Districts receiving Title 1 funds are required to utilize the funds to supplement the amount of local and state funds that each school would receive in the absence of the federal funds. The funds cannot supplant (take the place of) local and state funds. In this manner, Districts are required to ensure that Title 1 served schools are allocated at least as many local and state funds as schools not served with Title 1 funds.

The Kenosha Unified School Board is committed to its responsibility to provide a high-quality education to all students and is committed to using all available resources, including available federal funds, to support District schools that serve a student population with a qualifying percentage of students experiencing low income. Although the District reserves discretion to distribute Title 1 funds among Title 1 eligible schools where it determines greatest need the Federal eligibility requirement for schoolwide programming is based the percentage of students in each school from families experiencing low income. The threshold is 40 percent. The Board is committed to meeting its obligations under Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, by using Title I, Part A funds to supplement state and local funding made available to all schools within the District.

It is the policy of the Board to use state and local funding to provide Title I-eligible schools with supplemental support. In so doing, the District will ensure that Title 1 supplement, not supplant the services, staffing levels (teachers, administrators, and support staff), and curricular materials and instructional supplies provided Title I-eligible schools. In other words, the District does not take into account a school’s Title I status when distributing state and local funds ensuring that each Title 1 supported school is allocated at least as many funds as non-Title 1 eligible schools. The District has established and will continue to implement a District-wide salary schedule.

Documentation verifying compliance with this policy shall be maintained annually and made available to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and/or Federal Department of Education for monitoring or auditing purposes upon request.

LEGAL REF.:

  • Federal Laws
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6312 [local educational agency Title I plans; includes expectations regarding teacher and paraprofessional qualifications and annual notice requirements]
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6313 [eligible school attendance areas]
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6314 [school-wide Title I programs]
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6315 [targeted-assistance Title I schools]
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6318 [parent and family engagement]
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6320 [participation of children enrolled in private schools]
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6321 [fiscal requirements]
    • 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6322 [coordination requirements]
  • Federal Regulations
    • 34 C.F.R Part 200 [federal Title I regulations]

CROSS REF.: Policy 1120 – Parent/Guardian and Family Engagement

AFFIRMED: May 28, 2024

REVISED: