IAA Update

On February 23, the U.S. Department of Education announced two additional Interagency Agreements (IAAs). Of particular relevance to superintendents, school safety grant activities at the Department which aimed to increase the number of school mental health personnel and to support schools following particularly violent or traumatic events will be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Other school safety funding—such as the STOP School Violence Act grants—will remain within the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, the Department of Education is shifting oversight of Ready to Learn Programming, Full-Service Community Schools, Promise Neighborhoods, and Statewide Family Engagement Centers to HHS. In total, HHS will now manage $557 million in programs formerly administered by the Department of Education.

 

AASA continues to anticipate additional IAAs that would move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services out of the Department of Education, as well as transfer the Office of Civil Rights to the U.S. Department of Justice. In February, AASA’s Governing Board adopted an official organizational position addressing the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education: “AASA believes it is essential to maintain a cabinet-level position qualified for and dedicated to public education in order to continue to prioritize education at the federal level. Any changes to the administration of critical K–12 funding and programs must be grounded in thoughtful, well‑designed implementation, supported by an appropriate runway for transition, and carried out in ways that ensure the timely release of funds, operational efficiency, predictability, and full communication with local education agency leaders.”