Riverside Local Schools is part of a consortium, along with Perry, Fairport Harbor, Lake Erie College, and Lake County ESC, that received a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Education on May 23.
Ohio was awarded a $35 million Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The three-year grant focuses on serving the greatest numbers of students living in poverty, students with disabilities, English learners and students identified as having reading difficulties.
“Riverside is thrilled to be on the receiving end of this very large grant. It truly was a pleasure to work with members of Perry, Fairport, LCESC, and Lake Erie to develop a comprehensive literacy plan. It was exciting to see, through the grant writing process, how we could help and support one another, and really draw on each other’s strengths to improve the educational experience for so many students,” said Melissa Mlakar, the District’s Director of Curriculum. “These funds will have a significant impact on improving literacy outcomes for middle and high school students within our District and within Lake County.”
The grant builds on Ohio’s commitment to ensuring all students have the reading skills needed to succeed in education and life. The grant, submitted by the consortium, addressed students from birth to twelfth grade. The award from ODE, however, will fund activities and professional development for content teachers of middle and high school students to assist them in implementing effective, research based literacy strategies in all classes.
“Reading is the foundational skill that ultimately allows us to learn more, and through this application process, we were able to see the great work happening in Ohio’s schools,” added Paolo DeMaria, state superintendent of public instruction. “These Striving Readers grants put crucial resources directly into classrooms across the state, and we’re excited to work with awardees to improve outcomes for Ohio’s most vulnerable children.”