Greetings to FHUSD Parents, Guardians and Friends,
Public school education is a state responsibility as defined in the Arizona Constitution:
The legislature shall provide for a system of common schools by which a free school shall be established and maintained in every school district for at least six months in each year, which school shall be open to all pupils between the ages of six and twenty-one years.
Despite education being a state function, there are several federal grant programs that school districts can apply for through the state Department of Education for additional educational support. Typically these are not competitive grants but allocations based on need determined by various student population characteristics. FHUSD annually applies for federal funds under the ESSA-Every Student Succeeds Act (formerly ESEA and NCLB), IDEA- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and NSLP- National School Lunch Program.
The ESSA provides district funds under Title I, Title IIA, and Title IV grant programs. Title I funds support two reading teachers and the purchase of additional instructional supplies at McDowell Mountain Elementary. These staff provide supplemental reading instruction for students needing additional help to reach grade level reading standards. Title IIA funds are used for professional development and pay for costs associated with staff registrations and attendance at targeted trainings primarily in the area of Math and Language Arts. The Title IV
Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment program funds additional counselor staffing also at McDowell Mountain.
IDEA funds are used to provide education support for students with physical, emotional, and specific learning disabilities. For FHUSD these funds are used for both certified and support classroom staff, additional training, equipment, assessment tools and instructional resources. In addition, pre-school funds supplement the developmental pre-school.
NSLP funds are accessed through a reimbursement process rather than a defined allocation. The district submits monthly data to the federal government concerning the number of free and reduced breakfasts and lunches served during the month. Based on a predetermined fixed price, the district then receives a reimbursement to offset the overall food service costs for our contracted services with Sodexo.
To continue to “achieve and celebrate educational excellence,” FHUSD mobilizes multiple resources including these federal programs which play a critical role in this endeavor.
Regards,
Robert Allen, Ed.D.
Superintendent
