Council Rock SD budgets roughly $477,000 for LETRS structured‑literacy training required under Act 55
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Summary
The district told the Finance Committee it will fund multi‑year LETRS cohorts for hundreds of teachers and administrators to meet Pennsylvania Act 55 requirements. Board members asked about alternatives, program scope and state funding support.
Council Rock School District staff told the Finance Committee on July 10 they plan to fund multi‑year structured‑literacy professional development under Pennsylvania’s Act 55, using a mix of district budgeting and prepaid expense accounting.
Tony Rapp, the district’s director of business administration, described two principal purchases tied to LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling): cohort training for 200 additional teachers and 25 administrators. Rapp said administrators’ participation is budgeted at $27,007.50, and the district is purchasing 200 teacher licenses for $450,009.51; the administration described the total as a two‑year program and said the accounting treatment will spread expense across fiscal years.
Why it matters: Act 55 requires structured‑literacy professional development for certain certificated employees. Rapp said the district chose to expand participation beyond early grades so structured literacy practices continue through upper grades; administrators and special‑education and ELL staff are included in the cohorts. Staff also described related purchases to extend structured‑literacy practice (ASPIRE training, Wilson training) for middle and secondary staff and to certify at least one Wilson‑trained teacher in each building over time.
Board members pressed on cost, vendor choice and alternatives. Michael Roosevelt noted the program’s cost and that LETRS is a dominant provider in the marketplace; he said, “it sounds a bit like a monopoly,” and asked whether intermediate units or other providers could deliver required training. Rapp and Dr. Sanko said the Bucks County Intermediate Unit had capacity constraints and that the Lexia/LETRS vendor could support larger cohorts more quickly. Rapp added there is currently no state subsidy to offset the district expense.
Staff emphasized that the purchase is budgeted and that a portion of the cost will be recorded as a prepaid expense because the program spans two fiscal years. The administration also said previous cohorts trained through the intermediate unit will continue and that the district is transitioning some participants to Lexia’s offering so the district can reach the target number of trained teachers more quickly.
Next steps: staff will proceed with the planned cohorts and continue to report budget implications to the board. Board members asked administrators to continue exploring delivery options and confirm how the expenditures meet Act 55 requirements.
