(The Center Square) – Louisiana education officials are eyeing a federal designation that would let the state waive certain requirements tied to major K-12 grant programs, giving districts more latitude in how they manage and spend federal dollars.
The Louisiana Department of Education plans to apply for “Ed-Flex” status that allows state education agencies to approve certain waivers for school systems without sending each request to the U.S. Department of Education for separate review and approval.
“This is all a part of our journey to turn power back over to the states,” Bernell Cook, the state education department’s executive director of federal support and grantee relations, said during a meeting of the state school board on Tuesday.
In particular, Louisiana is looking to roll over a larger share of unspent Title I funding into the following year rather than being limited to the standard 15% cap. The state last year was awarded nearly $400 million in Title 1 funding to support schools with high levels of low-income students.
“When we receive approval for this waiver, we will be able to offer that on our own,” Cook said. Ed-Flex states frequently use the authority for Title I carryover waivers, according to a recent Congressional Research Service overview.
Louisiana officials also outlined a waiver tied to Title IV, Part A, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment program, which has spending rules for larger allocations. In 2025, Louisiana secured nearly $28 million funding under the grant.
For districts receiving at least $30,000, federal law requires minimum spending levels across broad categories, including “well-rounded” education and “safe and healthy” schools, with additional rules governing technology spending.
Cook said districts often want to shift more of the funding into one category, such as technology.
Louisiana has already been steering a portion of federal dollars toward state priorities, such as tutoring and classroom AI tools, by using flexibility available within existing federal grant structures now that pandemic relief funding has expired.
The U.S. Department of Education last fall encouraged states to consider the Ed-Flex option, noting that only a limited number of states currently hold the authority.
