SPECIAL REPORT
Vento requirements. She noted the McKinney-Vento
Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program was not transferred by any IAA. A separate proposal to fold it into an 18-program block grant and reduce funding from $6.5 billion to roughly two billion dollars was not adopted during the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process, but it may emerge in fiscal year 2027 negotiations. The open question is whether the agencies now responsible for grant administration and over- sight can maintain the same pace and consistency ED built up over time, particularly during the fiscal year 2027 systems transition, Wright-Gallo noted. “For transportation and special
education staff, that translates into a practical planning task of confirming current federal contacts and grant-system re- quirements, rather than a change in what students are entitled to,” she added. Wright-Gallo said states carry
independent IDEA monitoring responsibilities regardless of federal restructuring, adding it gives states “a natural role in backstopping any reduction in direct federal oversight, although how well that works in practice depends on each state agency’s staff capacity.” Addressing where docu-
mentation gaps actually occur, Wright-Gallo noted the recurring pattern is information loss at handoff points, not generally due to gaps in the law itself. Wright-Gallo said there are six funding streams beyond the stan- dard pupil transportation budget that districts may consistently leave on the table, thus an eligible student may not receive a trans- portation support for which they otherwise qualify. They include state-admin- istered reimbursement for
44 School Transportation News • OCTOBER 2026
health-related services de- livered to Medicaid-eligible students, which requires billing infrastructure most dis- tricts haven’t built specifically for transportation. Others include 21st Century
Community Learning Cen- ters, vocational rehabilitation, WIOA Title I, Part A and Impact Aid, Elementary and Second- ary Education Act (ESEA) Title VII.
Wright-Gallo suggested dis-
ED retains statutory authority and ultimate responsibility for IDEA
oversight, policy and enforcement functions.
-Glenna Wright Gallo, Former Assistant Secretary of OSERS
tricts confirm allowability with the relevant administering entity before obligating funds. “Administrative oversight for
several of these programs has moved to new federal agencies as part of ongoing restruc- turing at the Department of Education,” she said. “Program eligibility and allowable uses for students have not changed as a result.” Wright-Gallo noted there are 15 funding sources that can support transportation a dis- trict provides to get students to and from school or school-re- lated services and can be used alongside the district’s trans- portation cost data to identify which streams are already captured and which may be worth exploring for students who currently lack an adequate transportation solution. They include IDEA Part B
Section 611, the McKinney- Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection EPA Clean School Bus Program, the EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, and the Federal Highway Administration Safe Routes to School/Transportation Alternatives Program. Others include ESEA Title I
Part A, ESEA Title II Part A, ESEA Title IV Part A, 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), Impact Aid (ESEA Ti-
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