Marion County board approves $1.25 million in learning-program and courseware amendments

The Marion County School Board on April 28 approved two separate vendor amendments intended to expand and continue academic intervention and alternative-education courseware for district students.

The board voted unanimously to approve a first amendment with HMH Education Company to purchase Read 180 and Math 180 resources, digital licenses and professional learning to support the district multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). Melissa Connor, Executive Director of K-12 Academics, told the board the amendment totals about $1,000,000: roughly $785,000 for districtwide materials, student and teacher books and training, plus about $215,000 in optional additional purchases schools may choose to buy.

Connor described Read 180 as the primary reading intervention for grades 4through8 and Math 180 as the primary math intervention for grades 6through8 designed to build algebra readiness. She said the district holds about 6,000 Read 180 student licenses for grades 48 and about 560 Math 180 licenses. She also provided projected student gains the program is intended to support: 1,497 middle-school students projected to move from level one to level two in reading and 523 projected to move to level three; in Math 180 she cited projections of 117 students moving to level two and 43 to level three.

Board members asked for data showing the programs effectiveness and how the district will measure progress; Connor said the programs include ongoing progress monitoring and that the district will provide the data in SharePoint if members prefer it recorded in the meeting.

The board also unanimously approved a second amendment with Imagine Learning LLC totaling $250,000 to continue courseware used by students placed in alternative settings, BridgeWay Academy, and unit-recovery programs. Connor said the original three-year agreement was paid with $1.9 million in ESSER dollars that have been encumbered; this $250,000 request is an additional allocation to continue services through the remainder of 2025-26 and into 2026-27.

Why it matters: The HMH and Imagine Learning purchases are intended to provide structured, evidence-based interventions and a digital curriculum option for students who need intensive support or who are served off site. The board and staff emphasized monitoring outcomes and provided license counts and district projections to justify districtwide coverage.

What happens next: Both contract amendments passed 5-0 and will be implemented by district staff; schools will receive licenses and training per the terms described.