Friday March 29th, 2024 9:04AM

Gainesville City Schools receives literacy grant

The Gainesville City School System was awarded a $2.8 million grant that focuses on literacy and other social services for students in the district.

Deputy superintendent Sarah Bell discussed the grant during an Academic Achievement and Wraparound update at the Monday night work session. She said Gainesville was selected among 35 other districts in the state for the L4GA Literacy for Learning, Leading and Living for Georgia grant.
 
"It is a literacy grant that also provides opportunities for social work services for our families, to provide additional supports as well, so we're very glad to have opportunities aside from simply supporting literacy, because we know it takes more than just reading instruction to help a child read," said Bell.
 
The grant will be expended over the next two years, through September 2020 and will focus on students from birth through grade 12.
 
"That's a significant difference from previous grants. Previously we've been unable to work with students before they got to kindergarten and we really think we have an opportunity to make an impact," Bell said.

Working on instruction and making sure teachers had the professional development they needed, insuring quality literacy strategies in the classroom and making sure all students were able to have books in their hands, from school or in the community were some of the things Bell said they would be putting the money towards. "And we also want to make sure we're focusing on that positive learning environment, making sure that we're implementing behavioral supports that help our students learn and partnering with our community to make sure those supports are in place so students come to school ready to learn."
Bell said one significant requirement of the grant was community partnership. "We are very thankful we have our partners on board with us - Hall County Library System, United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, District 2 Public Health, Gainesville Housing Authority - we're just very appreciative of their willingness to work with us."

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