In a new memo about the possible impacts of the federal government shutdown, the Colorado Department of Education is telling school districts “the impact for the short term will be minimal.”
Federal funds totaling about $240 million a year are important to many school districts, for everything from school meals to extra funding for at-risk and special education students.
The memo notes various steps taken by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that some money will continue to flow but warns, “If the shutdown continues beyond a week, it is unclear what funding will be available” for Title I and special ed.
On the question of food programs, the memo notes, “Given the information we’ve received so far from USDA, we are advising that all SFAs continue with food service operations as usual at this time.” (If you’re not up on your acronyms, USDA is the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SFAs stands for food service authorities, districts schools and some other entities that are eligible for federal funds.)
The same air of uncertainty, of course, hangs over the other 49 states. There’s a good Hechinger Report wrap-up here. And read the full CDE memo here.