JNCL-NCLIS Joins K-12 Education Organizations in Letter Supporting Regular Allocation for Title II-A

Concerned with reports that the U.S. Department of Education is considering diverting at least some of the $2.19 billion in professional development funds to other unspecified purposes, JNCL-NCLIS and 29 other prominent K-12 education organizations penned a letter U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding that these funds be allocated as Congress intended. Other signatories on the letter included AASA, the School Superintendents Association, AFT, the Council of Great City Schools, the National Education Association, and the National PTA.

Title II-A is a formula grant program which provides significant annual funding to states and school districts to provide support for professional development, induction and mentoring. Language educators rely on Title II-A funds to support a wide array of rigorous professional learning programs.

The final Fiscal Year 2025 Continuing Resolution (CR), which funds all K-12 education programs at last year’s spending levels through September 30th, 2025, does not provide specific funding levels for each program. For instance, the CR groups together and provides a collective appropriation for several programs, including Title II-A, thereby allowing the Department of Education to shift funds around amongst these various programs. This could mean that some Title II-A dollars are transferred to other programs within that grouping.

The K-12 letter urges the Secretary not to make any changes to Title II-A allocations in this way as school districts have premised their annual budgets on receiving Title II-A funds. Specifically, the letter states: “Any reductions or changes to allocations at this time will have a devastating impact on students, educators and communities across the country…District leadership will be forced to make impossible decisions of where to make budget cuts - potentially even laying off staff - if Title II funding is not allocated in an identical manner to FY24.”

The U.S. Department of Education could signal its intentions on Title II-A allocations in the near future or wait until July 1st, when Title II-A allocations are required to be made to state education agencies. JNCL-NCLIS and its allies will continue to keep the pressure on the Department to make the appropriate FY25 Title II-A allocations.