Staff report

WARREN — Warren City Schools have been awarded approximately $1.5 million in state literacy grants, Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce announced Thursday.

Overall, $45.9 million in Comprehensive Literacy State Development grants were provided to 33 schools and districts across Ohio. The funds come from a $60 million grant the state received from the U.S. Department of Education.

Warren’s kindergarten through fifth grade were awarded $732,716.40. Sixth through eighth grades received $370,530.31, while $404,788.01 goes to grades nine through 12.

“Literacy is the foundation for all learning,” DeWine said in a news release. “By investing in our educators and aligning instruction to the Science of Reading, we are giving every Ohio student the opportunity to read confidently, succeed academically and reach their full potential.”

DeWine said Ohio is championing efforts to raise literacy achievement statewide. The grants are to be used to expand access to evidence-based literacy instruction for students and professional learning for educators, with a focus on enhancing literacy instruction for underserved students across the state.

Through the creation of literacy sites, funds will be used to provide literacy coaching, professional development and daily reading instruction. Schools will also participate in training to promote family engagement in literacy and partner with community organizations to support student achievement.

A total of 174 districts and schools submitted applications for the state grants. Ohio was one of the 23 recipients selected by the U.S. Department of Education and received the second-largest amount of funding among states, according to the release.