Board approves new Bridges and Envision math curricula for K–12

The Port Washington-Saukville School District board voted to adopt new math instructional materials Monday, approving Bridges for elementary grades and Envision for middle and high school.

Sarah, the district curriculum lead, told the board that teams of teachers from across the district piloted and evaluated multiple vendors, conducted classroom trials, gathered student feedback and reviewed EdReports evaluations. The elementary team recommended Bridges for its hands-on, real-world approach and manipulatives; the middle- and high-school team recommended Envision for its support features and flexibility for differentiation.

The board was presented with estimated first-year costs: Bridges was presented with an estimate of roughly $112,000 first-year cost with lower ongoing annual costs (about $16,000); Envision's first-year estimate was about $33,463 plus professional development and ongoing annual costs projected around $21,000. The administration asked the board to approve purchases not to exceed $150,000 for Bridges and not to exceed $70,000 for Envision while final quotes and shipping costs were confirmed.

Board members asked implementation questions specific to Saukville Elementary, where limited wall space may affect how manipulatives and visual supports are displayed. Sarah said implementation planning will include teacher input and summer planning time to address classroom storage and layout. A board member also asked for confirmation that the resources provide formative checks and scaffolds to guide interventions; Sarah said those features were a major selection factor.

The motion to adopt both resources passed on a roll-call vote.