District of Columbia

The District of Columbia Public Schools is eligible for 72 of the 103 federal education grant programs available for preschool, elementary, and secondary education in fiscal year 1998. The District of Columbia applied for 46 of the 72 federal programs. According to D.C. Public School officials, the District did not apply for the remaining 26 programs because it lacked the resources to pursue these grants. For example, budgetary constraints precluded its applying for grants requiring matching funds, such as Even Start-Migrant Education, and the D.C. Public Schools said that it had insufficient staff to apply for some grants or to implement the grant if received, such as Bilingual Education-Professional Development. The grant application process can vary by grant and involves several officials in the D.C. Public Schools and the District government.

GAO noted that: (1) DCPS is eligible for 72 of the 103 fiscal year (FY) 1998 federal education grant programs available for preschool, elementary, and secondary education; (2) in FY 1998, the District of Columbia applied for 46 of the 72 federal programs; (3) according to DCPS officials, DCPS did not apply for the remaining 26 programs because it lacked the resources to pursue these grants; (4) for example, budgetary constraints precluded its applying for grants requiring matching funds, such as Even Start-Migrant Education, and DCPS said it had insufficient staff to apply for some grants or to implement the grant if received, such as Bilingual Education-Professional Development; and (5) the grant application process can vary by grant and involves several offices in DCPS and the District of Columbia government.