Middletown City Schools board approves three-year 'Leader in Me' K–12 program funded with IDEA Part B reallocation and sponsor grant

The Middletown City Board of Education on April 14 approved a three-year districtwide contract to implement Leader in Me, a leadership and character development program based on Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits, with the district covering an initial allocation using IDEA Part B early‑intervening funds and a Leader in Me‑affiliated sponsor offsetting a portion of the price.

District officials said the program will be implemented in all buildings K–12 and is intended to provide a single, research‑based framework and common language across schools. Director of Student Services Susanna Davis told the board Leader in Me “is rooted in the internationally known 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey” and that the district chose it after an exhaustive review for a program that could scale K–12 and be sustained over time.

Supporters said Leader in Me embeds social‑emotional and leadership instruction into daily academic instruction rather than delivering stand‑alone SEL lessons. Davis said the implementation plan includes a dedicated district coach, building‑level “adult lighthouse teams” that set building priorities, and student lighthouse teams and action teams to carry skills into school life. She said the initial district investment will be paid from IDEA Part B funds redirected for early intervening services.

Board members asked how the sponsor funding and federal allocations were secured. Davis said the sponsor grant is guaranteed for the three years and that the district’s portion will be covered by a reallocation of up to 15% of IDEA Part B early‑intervening funds; she added that after year three the district’s annual ongoing cost would be about $50,000. When a board member asked if the sponsor commitment was already in place, district staff responded the sponsor funds are guaranteed and the district is being invoiced only for the difference.

Board discussion touched on local pilot experience: staff from Amanda Elementary and elsewhere had studied the program and visited sites implementing Leader in Me; district leaders said Amanda staff reported stronger family and community connections and that some buildings have already adopted related practices. Davis said the district can provide local survey and outcome data to board members on request.

The board voted to approve the contract. The motion passed on a recorded vote of board members present (recorded as yes votes by board members Moore, Stewart, Schibert, Ursell and Ramsey Hunter). The contract will appear on a forthcoming agenda for signature and formal contract execution.

Board members and staff said materials will remain available to parents on request and noted the district plans continued reporting on implementation and outcomes.

The district packet included a financial overview showing a district column and a sponsor column; district staff said the district column equals $431,302 (district allocation) toward a three‑year agreement and the sponsor offset is listed in the packet (sponsor figure referenced in discussion as approximately $267,000). Staff said IDEA Part B early‑intervening funds would cover the district portion this year and next and that the district expects the federal allocation to be present in next year’s budget according to federal program staff communications. Questions about longer‑term funding were raised and staff said years 4-plus would require the district to budget roughly $50,000 annually to sustain K–12 implementation.

Davis and Superintendent Dr. Hauser said the program is not an academic curriculum but a leadership and character framework layered onto instruction; they asked the board to approve the district‑level agreement so buildings can begin training and lighthouse team work over the summer.

The board chair and district leaders said they will return to the board with implementation timelines, local pilot data and ongoing budget reporting as the program rolls out.