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Custer School District board approves proceeding with HMH ELA adoption pending final budget
Summary
The Custer School District 16‑1 board voted to move forward with adopting HMH as the district’s K‑12 ELA curriculum, asking staff to return with final pricing and budget placement for the 2026‑27 cycle.
The Custer School District 16‑1 board voted to proceed with adopting the HMH English‑language arts curriculum for grades K‑12, with the district directing staff to obtain final price quotes and include the purchase in the 2026‑27 budget proposal.
The literacy committee presented the recommendation after a year of work comparing multiple programs and piloting materials. Jackie Hagen, a literacy team member, said the committee concluded HMH best matched the district’s goals because it emphasizes the science of reading, provides consumable student texts and includes abundant informational text and supplemental materials for intervention and assessment.
“HMH has the science of reading as its focus… it’s K‑through‑12, it has an abundance of informational text and a plethora of vocabulary,” Hagen said. The presenters said the company provided consumable books for students to annotate, PowerPoint materials and online resources that reduce teacher prep time.
Board members asked about cost and procurement mechanics. A superintendent’s report explained HMH typically quotes districts on a seven‑year cycle, which locks a price for that curriculum cycle; the district would pay an upfront fee that covers digital licenses and consumables, with the option to order additional copies if enrollment increases. A literacy presenter said the vendor had provided samples and pilot materials at no extra cost and offered training options, some virtual and some at an added cost.
Superintendent (speaker 2) framed the decision as part of a longer curriculum cycle: “What we want is the growth of our kids throughout, so from kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade,” and noted the district would bring final numbers back to the board during budget approval. Board chair (speaker 1) motioned and the board approved the request to move forward with HMH and to return with precise budget figures for formal purchase approval.
The board’s vote authorizes staff to finalize quotes and include the HMH purchase in the 2026‑27 budget; the district did not approve a final purchase dollar amount during the meeting. The literacy team and district staff will provide pricing details and any a‑la‑carte items for board review as part of the budget process.
