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Dowagiac board approves K–5 reading curriculum paid with state grant
Summary
The Dowagiac Union School District board voted to buy a K–5 reading curriculum after a months-long pilot; the district will use roughly $239,000 of state grant funds to cover the purchase and professional development, officials said.
The Dowagiac Union School District board on March 17 approved the purchase of new K–5 English/reading materials after a yearlong selection process and pilots at multiple grade levels. The board heard that the district applied for and received state grant funding to pay for the materials and associated professional development.
Dr. Dunn, who led the curriculum update work, told the board the committee reviewed multiple vendors and used teacher feedback and local data to guide the choice. "What I care about is that we end up with high quality materials," Dr. Dunn said, adding that the district had been awarded "about $250,000 in grant money" and that the purchase tag of roughly $239,000 "is not going to cost us anything because the state is giving us those grant dollars." He said the grant will also cover some professional development costs.
Board members asked about logistics and timing. Dr. Dunn said materials should be in teachers' hands "before summer" if storage and distribution are coordinated, and pledged to work with principals to resolve building-by-building space constraints. The superintendents office and grade-level chairs will manage rollout and professional learning communities to support fidelity of implementation.
Stephanie Tucker moved to approve the purchase; the motion carried following a roll-call that recorded board members voting in favor. Trustees discussed that the selection was the product of extended staff input and piloting and that the district aims to improve third-grade reading outcomes by aligning instruction across K–5.
The board packet shows the district applied for the state grant in the prior year and earmarked most of the award for curriculum materials and some for professional development. District officials said no local tax dollars are required for this purchase. The district plans to present policy revisions in April and will continue to update the community on curriculum rollout and teacher training schedules.
