Four Montgomery schools lose Title I money after change in poverty metric

Nine-year-old Leo Kennedy used to struggle with writing.

Then an enrichment teacher at Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md. — where Leo is a fourth-grader — started pushing him more, recounted his mom, Laurel Kennedy. After the teacher gave him C’s, it motivated him to try harder. Leo started writing, and he loved it. Now, his dream is to become a reporter.

But the program that helped Leo discover his love of writing is in jeopardy, now that Viers Mill is losing a federal Title I grant that’s key in paying for the enrichment teacher and other positions. Three other Montgomery County elementary schools are in a similar predicament.

The four campuses are among 58 Montgomery schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, another federal program that gives free breakfast and lunch to all students at certain schools with high need. Through it, Montgomery County Public Schools says it is feeding more children than ever at no cost...

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