A new literacy grant has been announced by the Iowa Department of Education and Governor Kim Reynolds with over $24 million to be awarded. The aim of the subgrants is to support development and implementation of plans to improve student reading proficiency in the state.

For a school to apply they must meet eligibility criteria including a total student enrollment with at least 50% of students at elementary and middle schools or 40% at high schools from low-income backgrounds, partnership commitments with early childhood education programs serving students from low-income backgrounds, a total student enrollment with less than 70% of students proficient in literacy or English language arts, and achievement gaps in reading performance between overall student results and those of certain student groups.

The subgrants are part of a multi-year federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant. The $24 million includes $4 million in planning subgrants, and the opportunity for an additional $5 million annually in the implementation of subgrants over four years through 2029.

The grant application for Iowa school districts and public charter schools is open and the deadline to apply is June 10th.