Wooster City Schools awarded $793K state literacy grant

Wooster City Schools has been awarded a Comprehensive Literacy State Development Subgrant, totaling $793,489.02. The funds will be allocated over the next four school years to address specific needs in the elementary schools and Edgewood Middle School.

The grant provides state-supported professional learning for literacy coaches, principals and district staff. Teachers, multilingual teachers, intervention specialists and reading teachers will continue training in Morphology and Orton-Gillingham. The funding also allows teachers time to collaborate and plan literacy instruction as part of a well-rounded education.

In the four elementary schools, the grant will provide extra reading and writing support for students needing help reaching grade-level goals, along with classroom intervention supplies. This work will be coordinated across all buildings, with a strong focus on partnering with families and community resources such as the Wayne County Public Library and United Way.

At Edgewood Middle School, the grant funds will support reading and writing interventions for students in fifth grade through seventh grade. The district also is adding a full-time reading teacher to provide targeted support and small-group instruction.

“I am incredibly proud of the dedication and collaboration that led to this funding award," Superintendent Gabe Tudor said. "This grant reflects the hard work of our curriculum team and teachers who continually seek new ways to support students’ growth in reading and writing. The investment in literacy will make a lasting impact on our students, classrooms and community for years to come.”

Molly Richard, director of curriculum and instruction, alongside Joslyn Chenevey, elementary curriculum coordinator, applied for the grant with the support of district staff and literacy coaches who contributed to the planning process. They also presented at a recent board of education meeting, highlighting the district’s success on the state report card and the impact of the grant.

The presentation can be viewed on the Wooster City School District website at www.woostercityschools.org/departments/curriculum.