Funding guide › Title II, Part A
Federal formula funds
Title II, Part A: recruiting, keeping and growing effective teachers
Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) goes to nearly every district through its state. It’s the program most closely tied to hiring, onboarding and supporting teachers, and it’s still funded: Congress kept it at about $2.19 billion for 2026.
This guide is general information, last reviewed October 2026, not legal or grant advice. Your state education agency and your district’s federal programs director decide what’s allowable, and rules vary by state. We’re a software company, and we sell the apps this guide mentions.
What it pays for at the district level
The law (ESEA section 2103) lists local activities. Those most often connected to school operations tools are:
- Recruiting, hiring and keeping effective teachers, especially in hard-to-staff schools and subjects. States list things like recruitment materials, job fairs and advertising, and initiatives that help districts recruit, hire and retain effective teachers.
- Support for new teachers, such as induction and mentoring programs.
- Evaluation and support systems for teachers and principals.
- Professional learning, including substitutes who cover classes so teachers can attend Title II-funded professional learning during the school day.
Where our apps can fit
| App | Fit | How it connects |
|---|---|---|
| Weaverbird HR | Good fit | Posting jobs, screening and interviewing, offers, onboarding new hires, mentoring and evaluation steps, and tracking licenses and professional learning, when tied to a recruitment or retention goal in your plan. |
| Weaverbird Subs | Can fit | Substitute pay for days that release teachers to attend Title II-funded professional learning is commonly allowable. The scheduling tool supports that coverage; most districts pay for everyday substitute management from local funds. |
| Help Desk, Finance, Facilities | Unlikely | These don’t support Title II’s purpose. See Title IV, Part A for technology. |
What to check before you budget it
- It’s in your plan. The activity should come from your needs assessment and your Title II plan in the consolidated application, for example “cut the time to fill special education openings” or “keep more first-year teachers.”
- It supplements, not supplants. Federal funds add to what state and local money already pays for; they can’t replace it. If you already pay for a system with local funds, moving it to Title II is usually a problem.
- Your state’s rules. Some states add their own limits on software, or require that recruitment tools focus on effective teachers in their certified area. Washington, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey and others publish allowable-use lists.
- It’s reasonable and necessary. Costs must be allowable under the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), bought through your procurement procedures, and documented.
Wording you can start from
Use the funding finder to draft an activity description with your district’s name, then adapt it to your plan’s goals and measures.
Sources
Want us to map this out for your district?
Tell us your state and the apps you’re considering. We’ll send which programs fit, draft wording for your application and a quote for your budget line. Free, with no obligation.