Maximizing Federal Educational Funds to Support Students with the Greatest Needs鈥�
Welcome to the Maximizing Federal Educational Funds website! Here, school leaders, district officials, educators, and other community stakeholders can find information on how districts and schools can strategically combine federal funds with state and local resources to support students with the greatest needs.
Federal funding is designed to help students facing significant challenges, and it can be used in creative ways that district leaders may not traditionally consider. Even though it is a part of a district’s budgets, when used strategically with other resources for programs that support students with the greatest needs, it can greatly benefit students and school communities. This website can be used to prompt conversations and planning to maximize the effectiveness of all funding, particularly supplemental federal funding.鈥�
This resource is most effective when used as part of each school district's ongoing improvement process. After conducting a thorough needs assessment, districts or schools should clearly understand gaps in achievement between different student groups and other inequities that need to be addressed. School and district leaders can select new, evidence-based programs or continue to expand or enhance programs with demonstrated success inclosing gaps and helping students thrive.
Reminder
The Maximizing Federal Educational Funds website is intended solely to provide general information and does not constitute legal advice. This guidance explains what activities are generally allowed, but whether a specific cost can be paid with Federal funds depends on the details of the situation and the rules from both the state and federal levels, such as those from the New Jersey Treasury Office of Management and Budget and the Uniform Grant Guidelines. Therefore, an activity listed in this resource may not be allowable in all circumstances, and conversely, an activity not listed in this resource may be allowable. Finally, the NJDOE does not mandate or prescribe the use of federal funds for those programs or activities highlighted in this guide.