Riverview Gardens board approves application for federal literacy grant

The Riverview Gardens School District Board of Education voted to authorize staff to apply for and accept the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant.

The motion, moved by Ms. Williams and seconded by Ms. Jackson, passed by voice vote. The district’s federal programs director, Laquina Curtis, told the board the CLSD funding is competitive and conditioned on federal and state appropriations. She said the grant awards multiple school-level and district awards and estimated a rough district-level award of about $58,944, depending on how awards are made.

The grant is intended to build literacy capacity through professional development for administrators, literacy coaches and teachers and to support preschool through 12th-grade literacy work. Curtis read language required by DESE noting that awards are “conditioned upon the availability and appropriation of funds by the United States Congress and the Missouri General Assembly” and that reductions in funding could require the district to cease expenditures.

Curtis said some schools will apply individually rather than the district being a single applicant and that Federal Programs would assist building teams with applications. Board members asked about the number of interested schools; Curtis said at least two had signaled interest at the time of the presentation.

The board did not take votes on other grant-related details at the meeting; Curtis said that if the district is awarded funds, the award and a recommendation to accept will be brought back to the board for formal approval and implementation steps.