$1.5M in federal funds for Yorkville schools could be impacted if funding halted

Although a Trump Administration memo freezing the dispersal of federal funds has been paused by the courts, Yorkville School District 115 officials say they must be proactive to stave off any future funding headaches.

District Superintendent Matt Zediker said while federal grants are a small portion of the district’s overall funding – $1.5 million – there are some important programs they are closely monitoring.

“It would affect some areas like our federal lunch program and our Title I and Title II dollars we receive from the federal government,” Zediker said. “We certainly will have to examine those and respond.”

The district receives an average of $488,000 annually as a participant in the National School Lunch Program.

The district also receives $826,644 in Title I federal dollars and an additional $156,952 in Title II federal funding.

Title I federal funding is allocated to schools if 40% or more of their student population meets low-income criteria. The money can be used to fund additional teachers, tutors or after-school programs.

Last year, the district budgeted $101,055 in Title I funds for Bristol Grade School and Yorkville Grade School to hire extra math and reading tutors and to implement after-school science programs. One of the programs is a school-based literacy event where parents read together with their children and take home free books.

Title I funds were also used to hire two new math paraprofessionals at Autumn Creek Elementary School.

The Title II federal funds are allocated to help teachers, principals, and other education staff to improve their professional practice through funding additional educational training.

In the short-term, the district should not see a significant impact, said Zediker, but programs might need to be re-examined if the freeze turns out to be a lengthy process of ambiguity with federal funding.

“That will be a work in progress,” Zedinker said. “We need to monitor the situation, speak to our various organizations that we belong to that have an eye on the federal movement on some of those freezes and executive orders.”

Zediker said planning for every outcome prepares the district to be ready for any eventuality.

“We will be in the works because it’s budget season for us now,” Zediker said. “We will be putting some plans together. We’ll start the work now in terms of putting together some ideas and thoughts if it should come to fruition.”