Integrated grants report: district cites attendance and literacy gains, highlights CTE access and funding challenges
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Summary
Michelle Cook and district staff presented the annual integrated grants report required by ODE. The report credited improved attendance and a third‑grade ELA target met in the prior year, while flagging persistent challenges around equitable access to career and technical education and sustaining programs amid funding constraints.
District staff presented the Gresham‑Barlow School District's annual integrated grants report to the board on Aug. 27, describing how a cluster of grant funds and initiatives are being used to support attendance, literacy, multi‑tiered supports and career and technical education (CTE).
Michelle Cook said the integrated report aggregates spending and progress across several funding sources, including the Student Investment Account (SIA), High School Success funds (Measure 98), Perkins (CTE), early indicator/intervention systems and, beginning next year, early literacy funds. The Annual ODE narrative that accompanies those grants is due Sept. 30, she said.
Cook told the board the district met several targets in the previous reporting period: third‑grade English language arts proficiency target was met, and ninth‑grade on‑track and graduation targets were met. She also said districtwide attendance improved over the two‑year reporting window and that gains appeared across most student subgroups.
At the same time, Cook and board members discussed persistent challenges. Cook cited scheduling conflicts and limited resources as barriers to equitable access to CTE and higher‑level coursework for historically underrepresented students, noting that some support services can conflict with access to CTE courses. She said the district is working on course scheduling, co‑planning and co‑teaching strategies to increase access and alignment.
The report also described an equity‑lens budgeting process the district used while making budget adjustments, designed to highlight who might be negatively affected by reductions and to prioritize required services and supports. Cook said the district is continuing to deepen implementation of literacy curricula and professional development and is expanding empathy interviews and student voice work to inform local strategies.
Board members asked about sustainability of CTE programming and community partnerships; Director Heather Coleman Cox said she is working to connect industry partners to support apprenticeships and to bring funding and opportunities into schools. Cook said Measure 98 and other grants are part of the integrated strategy but that sustaining expanded offerings will require continued community partnerships and funding stability.
The board received the report as informational; no binding board action was taken at the presentation.
Speakers cited: Michelle Cook and Heidi Lasher presented the integrated grants annual report; board members asked clarifying questions.