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Board approves K-12 evidence-based reading plan and Perkins grant; district reports highest ELA gains since 2015
Summary
The board approved the district's evidence-based K-12 reading plan and a Carl D. Perkins grant (over $767,000) to support career and technical education; district leaders reported rising ELA performance and a record number of industry certifications.
The Marion County School Board approved two academic items on July 14: a K-12 comprehensive evidence-based reading plan and a Carl D. Perkins grant to support career and technical education.
Melissa Connor, the district's executive director for K-12, described the reading plan as a state-required framework aligned to Florida's reading-success formula and the science of reading. She said the district recorded its "highest ELA performance and learning gains since 2015" in 2026 and highlighted interventions such as literacy coaches, instructional materials, and a third-grade reading camp.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the reading plan.
Connor then outlined the Carl D. Perkins grant, which the district expects to total more than $767,000 for the 2026-27 school year. She said Perkins funds purchase industry-standard equipment, support teacher professional learning, fund industry externships and help students earn industry certifications. "In fact, 100% of our programs are aligned as programs of study," Connor said, and the district reported 2,181 industry certifications this year, an increase of nearly 300 and the highest total in district history.
Board members thanked staff and noted career-technical programs help students enter the workforce with fewer college debt concerns. The Perkins grant motion passed 5-0.
Next steps include state review where required, program implementation, and tracking of literacy and CTE outcomes.
