Here is a breakdown of the key changes introduced for the 2026-27 school year program:
- Inclusion of Pre-K Students Previously, the EDS program was strictly K-12. Now, pre-K students are eligible to receive EDS awards.
Clarification: Because they are eligible, you must now include pre-K students in your total enrollment count. To qualify, a pre-K student must receive at least a $500 pre-K tax credit award. To prevent part-time pre-K programs from dragging down a school's 51% qualification threshold, schools are allowed to use Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) (e.g., two half-day students count as one full-time student in the enrollment total). - IEP and 504 Income Multipliers This is a brand-new element to help more students qualify under the income limits.
Clarification: If a student has documented IEP/504 paperwork and attends a state-recognized special education school, the income limit is multiplied by 2.993. If they have the documentation but attend a non-special-education school, you can use a 1.5 multiplier. This multiplier strictly applies only to the specific student with the documentation, not their siblings. - Shift from Checks to ACH Payments BLOCS has officially transitioned away from paper checks.
Clarification: Because checks were getting lost or washed in the mail, all disbursements will now be made via direct ACH electronic payments. Kathleen will be calling schools in September and October to collect banking information. - New Worksheet Columns The EDS student worksheet has been updated to accommodate these program changes.
Clarification: There are two new columns you must fill out: one requesting the Parent or Guardian's name, and another asking "Are you using the multiplier?" where you will enter a simple "Y" or "N" to indicate if a student qualified via the IEP/504 limits. - Worksheet Deadline Pushed to September 30th Kathleen originally planned to collect worksheets in August to distribute funds by September, but changed this plan.
Clarification: Because the state typically posts increased income limits in September, collecting worksheets too early would have excluded families who became newly eligible under the updated limits. The deadline was pushed to September 30th to ensure all qualifying students can be captured, with payouts scheduled for October 31st. - Increased Overall Funding The program's total pool of funding has grown to $72 million for the 26-27 year (an increase of $12 million from the previous year).
Clarification: While state-wide eligible student enrollment also grew by about 10,000 students, the $12 million boost in funding means individual payouts are expected to remain strong.
