The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is suspending all grants to Flint Community Schools as a result of the board of education's resolution requiring that the board president be present for all communications between the superintendent and the foundation, Mid-Michigan NOW reports.

In a July 16 letter to Flint Community Schools Board of Education chair Carol McIntosh, Mott Foundation president Ridgway White wrote that while the foundation "absolutely respect[s] the authority of the elected board to make any critical decisions deemed necessary to effectively lead the district," it also has a responsibility to manage its grants and ensure that activities and outcomes meet both the purpose of the grant agreement and IRS requirements.

"Based on the Flint Community Schools Board of Education June 16th resolution: 'the superintendent must cease all communication, as well as meetings (in-person, virtually or over the telephone) with all partners and community foundations as well as affiliates of partners and community foundations, without the presence of the board president and his or her designee,' we must reluctantly pause all grants," the letter states. "In addition, community partners must be able to communicate with district leaders to ensure smooth and effective programming." While the foundation otherwise would be awarding grants in support of programming for the upcoming schoolyear through Michigan State University's K-12 Outreach, Cranbrook Educational Community, Crim Fitness Foundation, and the Genesee Area Focus Fund, it "cannot make those grants without contact with the superintendent and a partnership with FCS," wrote White, although the foundation will approve three-month grants to Crim and GAFF for summer programming.

The board voted 4-3 at its June meeting to issue a warning to superintendent Anita J. Steward for not keeping the board informed and not involving board members in the district's upcoming strategic plan. In April, board members were surprised when a non-binding memorandum of understanding was leaked that showed a $200 million plan including new school buildings and other financial commitments from the foundation.

In a statement, Steward said that the district understands "the importance of these services to our scholars and their families, and we regret that we will be unable to provide them for the 2021-22 school year. We hope that we can work with our community partners to secure the resources needed to bring these programs back, and we remain committed to ensuring the growth of our scholars."

"The Mott Foundation remains open to making grants to Flint Community Schools," White told MLive-The Flint Journal. "We only ask that the Mott Foundation and grant recipients that support Flint Community Schools [are] permitted to have timely, direct communication with the superintendent to responsibly administer and implement the grants."