Federal Grants Withheld from Pittsfield Schools
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Several hundred thousand dollars in federal grant allocations are being withheld from the Pittsfield Public School District.
On Wednesday, interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips told the School Committee that the district will know if they are receiving the funds in August or September. For now, school officials are "in a holding pattern" and hoping the Title grants come through.
"When you all adopted the district budget, we had an expectation of what the federal allocations would be, and we have recently been notified that there are federal grant allocations being withheld," Phillips said.
Current federal grant allocations being withheld include: Title I-C that supports children of migratory agricultural workers and fishers, Title II-A for systems of support for excellent teaching and leading, Title III-A for English learners, Title IV-A that supports high quality educational experiences for students, and federal funds for the Integrated English language and Civic Education programs and the Adult Education Basic Grants to the States program.
Phillips said the district doesn't receive Title I-C funds, but does the rest.
Numbers were not given, but according to documentation from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, PPS received a total of $4,815,619 in state and federal grants in 2025. Just the Title funding amounts to nearly $500,000.
In 2025, the district was allocated $238,289 for Title II-A, $31,788 for Title III-A, $145,017 for Title IV-A, and $73,241 for Title III: English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement Program for English Learners and Immigrant Children and Youth.
It was also allocated $118,184 for "Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Secondary."
"Among the cuts that the federal government announced for education, the 21st Century Program is on that chopping block," School Committee member Sara Hathaway said, adding that political pressure prevented cuts in that program.
"… So we just have to figure out how to use that political pressure."
The $86.4 million school budget for fiscal year 2026 includes an $18 million city contribution and more than $68 million of anticipated Chapter 70 funding, the major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools.
Entitlement grants are secured by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and are based on a federal calculation.
The interim superintendent and her team have begun discussing possible implications for the district.
"We went to assess what are the carryover funds that we have in each of these areas, and based on those carryover funds, if our allocation is not distributed, how will we prioritize what we're currently spending?" she explained.
"We wouldn't be able to do everything that we're doing if the funds weren't released, so we are looking at what will we prioritize? And that is something that we would bring back to you."
For the funding to be canceled, it first has to be filed through Congress on Aug. 15.
"So if nothing is submitted, then we can expect that we're going to get that funding, and we can move forward," Phillips said.
"If something is submitted, at that point, Congress would have 45 days, a decision would be made, and then at the end of 45 days, my understanding is, if there's no decision, we would have to get the funding but if there is a decision in favor of cutting the funds, we would then be notified, and that would be Sept. 30."
She described the district as "in a holding pattern" and reported speaking to staff who may be impacted so they don't hear the information first in a public forum and have the opportunity to ask questions.
While they won't have an answer by the next School Committee meeting, updates will be provided when the information is received.
Chair William Cameron hopes those proposing the cuts will realize that they have children in public schools in their congressional districts and "most of those grants have a direct effect on classroom performance, so one can hope that self-interest will prevail there."
This was Phillips' first meeting with the committee.
"Thank you all for providing me with this opportunity to lead the public school system for your community," she said.
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