Oak Grove board approves $3.3 million K–8 English language arts adoption

The Oak Grove School District board of trustees approved a six‑year adoption of a new K–8 English and Spanish language arts curriculum on May 14, 2026, following a multi‑year, teacher‑led review and a unanimous roll‑call vote.

Dr. Patricia Mundra Gondoti, the district director who led the pilot, told trustees the process started in September 2024 and included screening six programs and piloting two finalists with 57 committee members and 54 classroom teachers. She said the pilot committee voted in April with 94% support for the recommended program (named in the recommendation as “SAS/my view literacy mision lectura and my perspectives”), and cited the program’s alignment with the California ELA/EL Framework, the English Learner Roadmap and ED Code section 6210 for off‑list adoptions.

“The total cost for this six‑year adoption is $3.3 million,” Dr. Gondoti said during the presentation, noting that figure includes print materials, digital licenses, shipping and tax, and the district’s professional‑development plan. Staff told trustees the price includes an option for two installments in the first year and that the district would use a combination of restricted sale proceeds to fund the adoption.

Teachers who piloted the curriculum described it as more teacher‑ and student‑friendly and praised features that connect daily reading and daily writing, support multilingual learners and embed tiered intervention tools. One pilot participant identified herself as an ELD teacher at Bernal and said, “Savas gives students access to the same academic topics and literature as their English‑only peers while also providing language supports to help them succeed.” Several other classroom presenters described built‑in intervention routines, decodable readers for lower grades and teacher editions that include intervention guidance.

Staff also described an assessment and intervention suite called Momentum that would replace the district’s current diagnostic. The presenter said Momentum’s alignment to the new curriculum would let teachers identify gaps and target instruction more quickly; staff estimated some multi‑year savings compared with prior diagnostic licensing.

Trustees asked for clarifications on the difference between the $2.7 million line in the packet and the $3.3 million total (staff said the higher figure reflects taxes, shipping and other fees), on parent resources embedded in the platform and on payment timing for the multi‑year contract. Associate Superintendent BS and Dr. Gondoti described an implementation plan that includes two required training days in year one, ongoing coaching, monthly virtual check‑ins, and site‑based supports targeted at combination classrooms.

After trustees’ questions, a motion to approve the curriculum adoption passed on a recorded roll‑call vote. The board president announced the motion carried.

Next steps: staff said they will proceed with contract execution and begin scheduling implementation training and site‑based coaching if vendors deliver on contract terms. The district plans to compare first‑window assessment results from the new Momentum diagnostic to this year’s baseline data and to provide periodic implementation indicators to the board, including teacher participation in professional development and student growth on foundational literacy measures.