NEWBURG R-II board approves nearly $21,500 purchase of elementary reading materials

The NEWBURG R‑II School Board approved the purchase of elementary reading materials and resources for approximately $21,500, the board confirmed during a motion and roll-call vote that carried 6-0.

Board member S3 presented the request, saying the district had already bought the Wonders program for three grade levels and sought to extend it to the remaining grades now while Title I carryover funds were available. "We have the money to do it," S3 said, adding that buying now would let teachers use the materials sooner while TNTP coaches remain on campus.

The purchase covers three years of materials for grades 1–3 and will include classroom resources and shipping. S3 said itemized quotes and shipping estimates were attached to the agenda packet and that some negotiation on shipping was possible. At the meeting, Chair S4 called the question; the motion passed unanimously after S2 recorded a second.

Why it matters: School leaders told the board the package would create program coherence across grade levels and support recent investments in teacher training and phonics instruction. Administrators flagged Wonders as a research‑based, DESE‑approved program that, combined with UFLY and Barton interventions, is intended to strengthen early literacy outcomes.

The board did not identify a specific mover in the public roll call for the motion (the transcript records the second as Mister Thompson). The district will move forward with procurement and implementation planning in advance of classroom rollouts.