Understanding Title I funding
What Title I is, how the money reaches schools, and what that means for your other grant applications.
What it is
Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides federal funding to districts and schools with high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families. It is formula funding: the amount is calculated, not competed for.
How it reaches a school
Funds flow from the U.S. Department of Education to state education agencies, then to districts, which allocate to eligible schools. Schools where at least 40% of enrolment is from low-income families can run schoolwide programmes; others run targeted assistance programmes for identified students.
Why it matters for other grants
Many private and corporate funders prioritise Title I schools, and some limit eligibility to them. Know your school's Title I status and free/reduced-price lunch percentage before you start applying — you will be asked.
Supplement, not supplant
Title I money must add to, not replace, state and local funding. When combining it with a private grant, keep the budgets clearly separate and ask your district's federal programmes office how they want it documented.