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SMCPS awarded $2.8 million Maryland Read and Lead grant; district to buy instructional materials and hire literacy coaches
Summary
Saint Mary's County Public Schools won a $2.8 million Read and Lead grant to fund two literacy coaches serving four elementary schools and to purchase Foundations instructional materials and digital tools for K–3 students.
Saint Mary's County Public Schools announced Wednesday it has been awarded a $2.8 million Maryland Read and Lead grant to bolster early literacy across the district.
Mary Pat Smith, supervisor of elementary English language arts, told the board the competitive award will support two full‑time literacy coach positions—each splitting time between two elementary schools—and districtwide purchases of Foundations instructional materials, student consumables and the Foundation's digital practice and reporting suite.
The grant covers five years and funds coaching targeted at four schools (Piney Point Elementary, Bridge Elementary, Town Creek Elementary and Green Holly Elementary) plus materials for all elementary classrooms. The district will buy Level 2 Foundations decodables for second grade, student success bundles for K–3, FunHub teacher licenses and a data/reporting suite to integrate Foundations data into the district’s MTSS and assessment workflows. The board approved a motion to purchase Foundations materials and the FundHub reporting suite from Wilson Language Training Corp. for $1,193,383.42 using the grant funds.
Why it matters: Staff said the Foundations data/reporting suite will streamline teacher and district access to unit‑level skill reports, reduce manual data handling and allow quicker, skill‑based intervention decisions. Mary Pat Smith told the board the digital practice platform enables individualized practice and feeds targeted recommendations into teachers' planning.
Timeline and budget: Staff explained that MSDE’s grant year calendar differs from the district fiscal year; year one included planning and initial purchases and later years fund recurring licenses and positions. The bulk of materials and platform purchases will be made before the school year begins, and coaches will be hired and placed during the grant’s first year.
Board members commended the application team; Chief Academic Officer Katie Quartercracks credited Mary Pat Smith and district finance staff for preparing the competitive application.
