Henrico School Board to vote on $14 million in federal grant funding

The Henrico School Board, with Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell (third from left)

The Henrico School Board will vote at a May 9 meeting on a proposal that would allocate about $14 million in federal grant funds to certain school programs for 2024-2025, with $11 million allocated to Title I programs.

Federal funds for Henrico Schools’ Title I programs, which are designed to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students, would support instructional coaches at Title I schools, the division’s McKinney-Vento program for homeless students, and other initiatives. Henrico’s Title I programs are projected to receive $1 million less in funding than last year, according to HCPS estimates.

Other federally-funded programs are likely to receive the same funding as last year. About $1 million in Title II program funding, which supports quality instruction, would go towards teacher professional learning and literacy and math instruction coaches.

About $600,000 would go towards Title III programs to staff instructional assistants and tutors for English language learners. Title IV funding, designated to help families get access to higher education, will allocate $900,000 to family advocates, science instructional coaches, and other resources.

At its 2:30 p.m. work session, the school board also will review feedback from the 2024 Henrico Schools Community survey, which was open to all students, parents and staff to complete this past February.

The school board also will review changes to student fees, which would reinstate Summer Academy fees that were previously covered by pandemic recovery funds. Henrico residents will have to pay $180 for middle school courses and $300 for high school courses.

At a 6:30 p.m. monthly meeting later that day, the school board will vote on federal grant funding and on a proposal to relinquish the Head Start grant program, due to the 172 additional spots being allocated to the Virginia Preschool Initiative for 2024-2025. Members of the public also will have an opportunity to speak at the meeting’s public forum.

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Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.

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