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Peoria Board Approves $1.59M K–4 Literacy Purchase after Questions on Data‑Privacy Lawsuit
Summary
Peoria Board of Education approved a six‑year, $1,591,533.50 K–4 literacy adoption (Curriculum Associates' Magnetic Literacy) after members discussed pilot results and an active data‑privacy lawsuit; the district said student‑data protections are governed by SOFA agreements and state law.
The Peoria Board of Education voted April 27 to approve a six‑year K–4 literacy adoption, selecting Curriculum Associates’ Magnetic Literacy and authorizing $1,591,533.50 in district and Title I funds for print materials, teacher resources and digital diagnostics.
Board members heard that 68% of K–4 teachers who piloted three candidate programs ranked Magnetic Literacy first and that pilot teachers praised features such as built‑in exit tickets, a phonics component and embedded writing instruction. Lindsay Baum, the district’s curriculum coordinator, told the board the adoption responds to expiring materials and aligns with the Illinois literacy plan: “A viable tier‑one instructional resource is the first step to increasing literacy outcomes,” Baum said.
The purchase drew questions about student‑data privacy after news of a separate California‑filed lawsuit involving Curriculum Associates’ products. Ms. Seiple outlined the litigation context and technology director Michelle Seibel told the board, “We have SOFA agreements with all of the educational online platforms that we have so that any of our systems that house any student data… we make sure that all of the student data is protected.” The district said its vendor agreements and Illinois requirements differentiate its protections from the claims in the out‑of‑state litigation.
Board members asked about contract length, what materials are included and how the district will measure impact. Baum said the package includes consumable student texts, teacher editions, foundational skills kits for early grades, a set of trade books and a diagnostic assessment system. The district will collect three annual diagnostic administrations and compare growth and proficiency metrics over multiple years to state summative results to evaluate outcomes.
After discussion, the board moved and seconded approval of item 12 (the K–4 adoption). Roll‑call votes recorded five board responses with four recorded affirmatives and one negative: Mr. Ivory, Mrs. McConnell, Mrs. Rose, Mrs. Wilson and President Wilson voted in favor; Mrs. Ross voted no. The motion carried.
The approved purchase is scheduled to begin with the 2026–27 school year; district staff said details on teacher training and implementation timelines will be provided to principals and the board before rollout.
The adoption joins other items on the curriculum docket: a separate fifth‑grade Into Reading purchase and a renewal of NWEA MAP Growth for grades 5–8, both of which remain part of the district’s broader literacy alignment plan.
