Bemidji board adopts new K–12 English language arts curriculum to meet Read Act requirements

The Bemidji Public School District board voted to adopt a set of K–12 English language arts materials chosen by a district curriculum committee to meet Minnesota's Read Act requirements and local alignment work.

Curriculum leaders Lacey Podmore and Anna Hamann presented the committee's multi‑stage review, which included teacher pilots of multiple programs and cross‑grade vertical alignment. The committee recommended continuing UFLI in kindergarten through second grade, adopting Functional Morphology in grades 3–5 to emphasize word‑parts and vocabulary development, and adopting EL Education for sixth grade. For grades 7–12 the committee recommended a curated list of trade books to meet new standards and vertical alignment goals.

Context: Podmore and Hamann said the Read Act required the district to evaluate K–5 materials against a state list of highly aligned curricula; teachers piloted three programs and recommended options intended to strengthen structured‑literacy instruction. A committee recommendation also suggested continuing MyView for an additional year with targeted supplements where MDE had identified gaps.

Board discussion and vote: Board members praised the transparent process and teacher involvement. The board approved the curriculum adoption by roll call vote and directed administration to proceed with implementation and to seek cost‑efficient procurement where possible.

Implementation: Administration said adopting Functional Morphology will require about 20–30 minutes of classroom time in grades 3–5 and that the district will leverage existing materials and publisher negotiations where possible to reduce costs. The district plans to implement materials for the 2025–26 school year and to report progress to the board.