Grants Received Newsletter for School Board Communication

External grants represent an opportunity to fund programs and initiatives that the operating budget cannot support. When the district successfully secures a significant grant, that is a newsworthy accomplishment worth sharing with the community. It demonstrates that district staff can compete effectively for external funding, that the district has programs and plans worth funding, and that the community is benefiting from revenue beyond what local taxpayers provide. A grants newsletter that explains what was received, what it funds, and what accountability it requires treats the community as stakeholders in the district's resource management.

Grants Received This Year

The district has received the following significant grant awards in the current fiscal year: [list each grant with the funding source, award amount, grant period, and program or purpose funded]. Total external grant funding this year amounts to $[total], representing approximately [percentage] of the district's total operating budget. [Describe any grants that are especially significant in terms of size, duration, or the programs they enable.] [If the district applied for grants that were not awarded, it is optional to mention this, but doing so demonstrates a proactive grants strategy that goes beyond the programs that happen to receive funding.]

What Each Grant Funds

For families to understand what grants mean in practice, the newsletter should describe specifically what each major grant funds. [For each significant grant: describe the program or initiative, which schools or students benefit, what activities the grant pays for, and what outcomes the grant requires the district to demonstrate.] Federal formula grants like Title I fund additional academic support for students in high-poverty schools. Title II funds professional development for teachers. Title III funds language development services for English language learners. IDEA Part B funds special education services. [Describe any competitive grants that fund innovative programs not otherwise available to students.]

Accountability Requirements

Grant funds come with legal accountability requirements. The district is required to use each grant only for the allowable activities specified in the grant award, to maintain separate financial records for each grant fund, to report outcomes on the schedule the funder specifies, and to submit to audit. Federal grants are subject to the most extensive requirements, including supplement-not-supplant rules that prohibit using grant funds to replace what the district would have spent from local revenue. The district's grants management function [describe whether there is a dedicated position] monitors compliance and prepares required reports. The most recent federal program audit found [describe results: no findings, specific findings and their resolution].

Grant Terms and Sustainability

Most competitive grants are time-limited, typically one to three years. When a grant ends, the district must decide whether to absorb the program into the operating budget, seek renewal or replacement grant funding, or discontinue the program. [For each significant program currently funded by a grant, describe the grant term and the district's sustainability plan.] The most valuable grants are those that fund programs the district can sustain, or that build capacity in areas that do not require ongoing external funding. Families who have students benefiting from grant-funded programs should know the term of those grants so they understand what continuity to expect.

Pursuing Additional Grant Opportunities

The district actively monitors grant opportunities from federal agencies, the state department of education, private foundations, and local community foundations. [Describe any grants currently under development or anticipated for the next application cycle.] Grant writing requires significant staff time, and the district prioritizes applications that align with the strategic plan and have a realistic probability of award. [If the district has a grants coordinator or uses a grant writing consultant, describe that capacity.] Families and community members who are aware of grant opportunities relevant to the district's programs can send information to [contact].

How Grant Funding Relates to Local Tax Revenue

Grants supplement but do not replace local tax revenue. The programs and staff funded by formula grants like Title I, Title III, and IDEA are funded specifically for students who qualify under federal criteria. General education programs and staff are funded primarily by local property taxes and state aid. Families sometimes assume that a district receiving federal grant funding does not need local tax increases, but federal grants are restricted to specific populations and purposes and cannot be used for general education operating costs. Understanding this distinction helps community members evaluate budget and levy requests accurately.