Gainesville School District receives $325,000 literacy grant to boost K-12 reading success

The Gainesville School District has been awarded $325,000 to help students improve their reading and writing skills. The money comes from Missouri’s 2024 Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant and will be used over five years to help students in all grades - kindergarten through 12th.

The grant application shows that the school hopes to improve students’ reading skills, as test scores have shown that many students are not reading at the level they should be, especially in the upper grades. 

The funding comes in at $45,000 per year for five years for programs for kindergarten through fifth grader, and $20,000 a year for five years directed toward sixth through 12th graders. 

In the elementary school, the money will be used to fund a new full-time position, a literacy coach, who will train and support teachers, as well as a new literacy paraprofessional. Superintendent Justin Gilmore said the school is excited to promote two great staff members internally to the new positions. Haley Cooper will be stepping into the role of literacy coach. She transitioned from elementary school teacher into a Title I reading specialist role last year. Gainesville Elementary School paraprofessional Ashley Jondle has been hired into the literacy para position as well.

Thanks to the grant, students will get extra help through small reading groups, tutoring and special programs like Reading Recovery and Leveled Literacy Intervention.

The school will also work with families by offering family literacy nights, take-home book bags, reading tips for parents and summer reading programs. 

Older students will also get more support in reading and writing. Teachers in all subjects, not just English, will learn how to include reading and writing in their lessons. For example, science and history teachers will help students read hard texts and explain their thinking in writing.

Students who need extra help will have Reading Success Plans made just for them. These plans will guide how teachers help them during class, in small groups, or after school.

Gilmore says the district wants to make sure that students get reading help at every stage, from preschool through high school graduation. Teachers in different grades will work together to help students move smoothly from one grade to the next.

The new reading programs will begin in the 2025–26 school year.