RD285 - Direct Aid to Public Education: Planned Uses of At-Risk Funds


Executive Summary:
Pursuant to the requirements of Item 135, Chapter 847, 2007 Acts of Assembly, the Department of Education collected data from school divisions on their planned uses of At-Risk funds in fiscal year 2008.

At-Risk funds are intended to support programs for students who are considered educationally at risk. According to Item 135, Chapter 847, 2007 Acts of Assembly, acceptable uses of these funds may include: Dropout Prevention, community and school-based truancy officer programs, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Project Discovery, Reading Recovery, programs for students who speak English as a second language, and programs related to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing opportunities to encourage further education and training.

The survey was conducted by providing school divisions with a pre-established list of potential uses of At-Risk funds, as generated by program staff in the Department of Education. However, school divisions were also made aware that the list was not exclusive. A separate section of the survey provided an opportunity for divisions to describe other uses of the funds not covered on the list.

This report provides the results of the At-Risk survey. As of the date of this report, two school divisions have not yet completed the Budgeted Required Local Effort and Required Local Match submission. The Department has not yet received data from Goochland County. Consequently, this division is not included in the data presented in this report. The data for Manassas Park City is included but has not yet been certified by the division.