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Board approves Arts and Letters K–5 literacy curriculum and $804,000 purchase
Summary
After a months‑long review, district staff recommended Arts and Letters (Great Minds) as the K–5 English‑language arts curriculum. The board approved the purchase, about $804,000 including materials and professional development; staff said roughly $400,000 of one‑time state literacy funds will pay part of the cost and full implementation will begin fall 2026.
The Mankato Public School District board voted April 6 to purchase the Arts and Letters K–5 literacy curriculum from Great Minds, following a months‑long review aligned to the science of reading.
District staff told the board their review committee examined four comprehensive options — Wit & Wisdom/Arts and Letters, CKLA (Amplify), Benchmark Advanced and a Benchmark advanced edition — using a rubric linked to scientific evidence and Minnesota standards. Staff said Arts and Letters ranked highest across grade‑level reviews and that teachers and administrators who piloted the materials reported positive implementation experiences.
Travis Olson, the district’s director of teaching and learning, presented the recommendation and described a phased rollout: a soft launch this spring for some grade‑level modules, professional development this summer and fall, and full K–5 implementation in the 2026–27 school year. Olson said the district will retain and reuse some existing Benchmark leveled readers to supplement topic coverage where needed.
Finance staff and board members discussed cost and funding. The district presented an estimated purchase price of about $804,000 covering physical materials plus vendor professional development and implementation support. Staff said the district expects to apply about $400,000 in one‑time state literacy incentive funds toward the purchase and will phase remaining costs into the district budget; additional local PD costs were described as smaller than materials costs. The board approved the purchase by roll call.
Why it matters: District leaders said a common, evidence‑aligned K–5 curriculum should support consistent reading instruction across schools and better align with recent state guidance and the science of reading. Board members emphasized that materials alone will not produce results; they said sustained professional development and coaching will be essential to implementation.
What’s next: Staff said they will purchase and distribute teacher materials as soon as possible, schedule professional development for administrators and mentor coaches, and proceed with a full implementation and ongoing coaching in fall 2026.
