The Mesa Public Schools Governing Board approved a motion to submit the Inspire Teaching Exceptional Learning (ITEL) grant and to accept funds if awarded. Board members and district staff spent significant time discussing how the grant would be used to support tier‑1 instruction and teacher capacity at three elementary sites.

District staff said the grant will fund professional learning for teachers focused on implementing high‑quality instructional materials (Scholastic, Savvas/foundations) and aligning instruction to standards. Doctor Eustace told the board the grant-funded work will include observational data aligned to Mesa Public Schools’ instructional framework, teacher surveys, focus groups and analysis of student artifacts and common formative assessments. "There will be observational data that's aligned to our NPS instructional framework," Doctor Eustace said.

Staff clarified the funding and delivery model: Arizona State University received a larger grant and Mesa Public Schools would be a subgrantee; Instruction Partners, a national nonprofit, will deliver most professional learning. Staff said the subgrant includes approximately $250,000 intended to cover substitutes, stipends and off-contract teacher work at the three participating schools. Principals will select participating grade levels; staff described a train‑the‑trainer model in which participating teachers and coaches will spread practices across campuses to support sustainability after the three‑year grant period.

Board members repeatedly asked for clear metrics and sustainability plans. Board Member Walden emphasized that the district must learn how to replicate high-performing implementations across sites. Doctor Eustace acknowledged variation in teaming outcomes and cited ASU analysis showing that some teams produce strong student outcomes while others do not. "When you have variance of implementation, you have to work at the schools that are not necessarily running with high efficacy," Doctor Eustace said.

Board members asked how much out‑of‑classroom time teachers will be required to commit. Staff said the program will emphasize virtual sessions and use early‑release Wednesdays where possible; one in‑person day per semester was mentioned as likely, with other time flexible and negotiated with site leaders. Principals and participating teachers may use substitute days, stipends or off‑contract time; exact sub‑day counts will be determined at the site level after board approval.

The board approved the motion 5-0. Staff said they will return with implementation details and an end‑of‑year report for the board.