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Board approves $250,000 pilot for one-to-one virtual tutoring from Ignite Reading
Summary
The board approved a sole‑source procurement for Ignite Reading PBC to deliver a one‑to‑one, daily 15‑minute virtual tutoring pilot (estimated $250,000) targeting early readers in second and third grade, with data monitoring and comparison schools identified for evaluation.
The Savannah Chatham County Board of Education voted Aug. 13 to contract with Ignite Reading PBC for a district pilot of high‑dosage, one‑to‑one virtual reading tutoring in the 2025–26 school year at an estimated annual cost of $250,000. Staff described the purchase as a sole‑source procurement based on Ignite’s proprietary platform and curriculum.
Shraddha, a district staff member leading the pilot briefing, told the board: "It is daily 1 on 1 tutoring," and explained students would receive 15 minutes a day, five days a week of individualized instruction from trained tutors. Staff said the program pairs tutors with a dedicated literacy specialist who will report on student progress every 14 days and coordinate with school leadership.
District staff said the pilot will target 100 students in second and third grade who are two or more grade levels below on the district’s diagnostic assessment, beginning after the district’s beginning‑of‑year EMIRA scores are available. The pilot will use four demographically similar comparison schools to evaluate impact and will include an ROI lens with involvement from the director of research and evaluation.
Board members highlighted the pilot as an example of innovation and asked for frequent progress reporting. "I didn't want it to be buried in the consent," said a board member who moved to pull the item for full consideration, adding that the pilot was a promising use of resources to address early literacy. Staff confirmed they will monitor implementation every 14 days and provide updates to the board if the program is effective and scalable.
Action taken: The board approved a sole‑source agreement with Ignite Reading PBC for foundational literacy tutoring services for the 2025–26 school year at a total estimated cost of $250,000.
Why it matters: The pilot targets students at risk of falling behind in early reading and is structured to produce regular progress data and comparison results to determine whether to scale the program in future years.
What’s next: Staff will begin implementation after beginning‑of‑year assessments are complete, monitor progress biweekly, and report outcomes to the board and district leadership.
