Fewer federal funds for La Crosse School District

La Crosse Tribune, Jul 21, 2003 by Mercer, Anastasia

The La Crosse School District will receive slightly less federal funding for 200304, and the majority of it will be used to hire teachers and pay for reading and math programs for low-income students.

Kathie Tyser, associate superintendent of instruction, said the district will receive $2.7 million in federal funding this year, down from $2.9 million in 2002-03. Money is based on student enrollment and the number of students who receive free and reduced-price lunch.

Tyser is scheduled to present a report on the federal funding, which makes up about 7 percent of the district's operating budget, to the LaCrosse School Board at its meeting tonight.

Tyser said federal allocations for this year are:

* $1.9 million for Title I, which is to be used to improve reading and math achievement in disadvantaged students. The money will be spent on teacher and

teacher assistant salaries, summer reading intervention, summer school reading and math programs and staff development.

* $559,974 for Title IIA, which is to be used for providing a highly qualified staff to increase student achievement. The money will be spent on class size reduction positions, the teacher mentoring program, Washburn Academy registrations, training on the district's new software program and math staff development.

* $56,622 for Title IID, for using technology to increase student achievement. The funds will pay the salary of Lisa Altreuter, the district's technology integration specialist.

* $57,381 for Title II, to improve reading and math skills among limited English proficiency (LEP) students. The district will use the money to pay for Parent Education Programs, language assessments, summer school for LEP students and afterschool tutoring.

* $67,498 for Title IV, which is for providing safe and drug-free schools, developing youth assets, reducing discipline problems and truancy and maintaining high attendance. Some of the programs funded with this money include Peer Helpers, Champions in Learning, Hopping Heroes, peer mediators, homework clubs and Diversity Week.

* $70,080 for Title V, which allows districts to offer grants for innovative programs. In La Crosse, administrators can apply to purchase technology, unique materials and other equipment that is used to increase student achievement.

While there are "strings attached" to every Title program, the federal dollars have been critical for keeping programs running in an era of declining resources, Tyser said.