Verndale School Board: Compensatory funding concerns and HRS accolades
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Verndale School Board held their regular meeting on Monday, February 3.
Legislative Updates
Superintendent Jeannie Mayer explained that the district’s compensatory funding based on free and reduced lunch eligibility may decrease by $240,000 next year. This is due to the shift to all-direct certification rather than families submitting forms. The governor has proposed a “hold harmless” approach this year to prevent the significant funding loss, but the long-term solution is still being discussed at the legislative level.
Some options include using the district’s overall poverty rate rather than just free/reduced lunch data to determine compensatory funding. However, this poses challenges for districts like Verndale that have a high percentage of open-enrolled students, as the poverty data may not accurately reflect the district’s needs.
Compensatory funding supports various programs and staffing, such as Title I, counselors, and curriculum resources. A significant decrease in funding would have a major impact on the district’s budget. Mayer is closely monitoring the legislative discussions around compensatory funding and will continue to advocate for a solution that adequately supports districts serving high-need student populations...