School board approves $1.5 million K–8 ELA and math curriculum adoption

The Sweetwater County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees voted Feb. 3 to adopt new kindergarten-through-eighth-grade English language arts and mathematics instructional materials from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and a Zaner-Bloser handwriting program, approving a five‑year purchase not to exceed $1,500,000 to be paid from district reserve funds.

District curriculum staff presented the adoption package to the board, describing a year‑long committee process, vendor reviews and an implementation and professional‑development plan. "We're here tonight, Mrs. Covey and I, to ask for your consideration and the adoption of a new kindergarten through eighth grade language arts curriculum resource, as well as a kindergarten through eighth grade mathematics resource," Alan Demery told the board during the presentation.

The district committee recommended HMH's IntoReading (K–5) and IntoLiterature (6–8) for English language arts, and IntoMath for K–8 mathematics, along with Zaner‑Bloser handwriting for K–5. The package includes teacher and student digital subscriptions, consumable student workbooks, supplementary intervention and assessment tools (Waggle, AMIRA and Writable), and two years of on‑site and virtual professional development plus on‑demand coaching.

Presenters said the materials were selected after surveys of staff and a 25–30 member committee that evaluated multiple vendors across fall and winter. The administration said consumables and software will be ordered annually as needed and that the five‑year purchase is intended as a one‑time, up‑front cost to reduce recurring annual expenditures.

The board asked how the district will support teachers hired after the two‑year professional‑development window. Ann Marie Covey said the district would use internal instructional facilitators, online PD, and could contract with the vendor for additional training if needed. Regarding students with disabilities, presenters said the adoption is intended to make classroom instruction more consistent so special‑education staff can target specific skills within the general‑education environment instead of moving students to separate, incompatible programs.

Demery and Covey outlined a timeline: order and shipping in spring, professional‑development work over the following two years, and district implementation starting fall 2025. The administration asked trustees to approve up to $1.5 million from reserve funds; they said the use of reserves was chosen partly because a prior legislative action temporarily allowed higher reserve levels and the district intends this as a one‑time purchase rather than an ongoing staffing commitment.

Trustee Tom moved to approve the adoption "not to exceed $1,500,000 using reserve funds," and Trustee Michelle seconded. The board voted in favor; the motion passed.

The board also discussed handwriting and its link to literacy instruction and said occupational therapy staff would be involved in implementing the handwriting program at elementary grade levels.

The adoption documents provided to the board detail grade‑level consumables, online supports, assessment components and professional‑development plans. The administration noted shipping costs and final numbers may change slightly and requested authority in the not‑to‑exceed motion to accommodate that.

The board approved the first‑step purchase; the administration will begin ordering materials and planning professional development ahead of fall 2025 implementation.