DOE Launches Grant Program to Help Districts Educate Disadvantaged Students
May 12, 2020
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced a new, $3 million grant program that “gives districts flexibility to combine federal, state and local funding streams to educate disadvantaged students.” The grants are authorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act and are aimed at supporting “student-centered funding pilot” programs, representing the first time DOE has offered such funding. According to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, “This clear and quantifiable way to allocate education funding provides much-needed transparency, predictability, and autonomy at the local level, and helps to ensure the money follows students who need the most support.” These grants would allow districts to have more control over how funding is allocated to support “students from low-income families, English learners, and any other educationally disadvantaged student group.” Local agencies can apply for these new grants through July 10.