The Emporia Board of Education voted to purchase 121 student subscriptions to Read 180, a reading-intervention program, plus supporting resources and professional development for Emporia High School. Board members approved the purchase by voice vote; the motion passed 7-0.

Cheryl Lehi, interim assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, told the board the program “will facilitate the use of small groups and direct instruction to help students with their reading in the reading intervention courses.” She said the purchase includes subscriptions, teacher resources and access to a service called Coachly, which provides ongoing instructional support and can include scheduled Zoom coaching.

Lehi said the 121 subscriptions correspond to students currently enrolled in two “at-risk” classes and two special education classes; the district may add individual licenses if additional students enroll. She described the subscription as an annual, per-student recurring cost, while library resources and some supports are one-time purchases. Lehi told the board that if the district renews after a year, the vendor indicated Emporia might be eligible for a discount.

Board discussion touched on implementation and professional development. Lehi said the vendor offers a two-hour “getting started” session that the district expects to schedule during a professional-development day or early-release PD time to avoid asking teachers to use their personal time. A board member also said the program had worked in another district where they had seen desired results.

A member of the board moved to approve the adoption and purchase as submitted; another board member seconded. The motion passed, recorded in the meeting as “Motion passes 7 0.” The board document presented to the board listed funding as coming from the district’s at-risk funds.