Corrected Version

Well-stocked classroom libraries, a key ingredient of the district's new literacy plan, will receive strong financial support through a grant from the The Morgridge Family Fund of The Denver Foundation announced today by Superintendent Jerry Wartgow and John Morgridge.

The $730,000 grant will be used in all schools so teachers and students have ready access to a wide variety of stimulating books and reading materials at their fingertips.

"Learning to read forms the core of learning itself," said Chief Academic Officer Sally Mentor Hay. "Students need to be on grade level in reading in order to learn all other subjects. Developing strong classroom libraries will allow students ready access to materials so they can improve their skills and continually ratchet up the degree of difficulty in the reading they can comfortably handle. This generous grant is a tremendous gift to the district that will go a long way toward making these classroom libraries a reality."

Added Superintendent Jerry Wartgow: "We consider ourselves very fortunate and grateful to have such strong support from the The Morgridge Family Fund of The Denver Foundation, which has been a friend to the district in assisting with many crucial needs. Our thanks go out to them again for helping teachers provide the necessary classroom books to make this program effective."

Carrie Morgridge said the foundation is encouraging the public to match the grant dollar for dollar in order to fully implement the program for the 2002-2003 school year. "We encourage all to help, no matter what the amount," she said. "It all adds up. We would love anything that people can give."

The classroom libraries are needed at all grade levels although the literacy program is different in elementary schools than it is for middle and high schools.

In middle and high schools, the literacy program means schools will implement what's known as the Reading and Writing Studio Course beginning with the 2002-2003 school year. The course will reach students who are reading below grade level and, as a result, cannot access the regular academic curriculum. The course requires a two-period daily block that includes, among many elements, daily independent reading supported by classroom libraries.

As many as 175 middle and high school teachers will be teaching the course and, in order to provide a sufficient range of books to address student interests, some $4,000 per classroom is needed to start building each teacher's library.

Middle schools without the direct support of federal Title 1 dollars will be able to access existing monies to begin building the libraries. But each classroom will need an additional $1,500 to make up the difference from what district funds can provide.

Non-Title 1 high schools will be able to fund about $3,000 per classroom but will need an additional $1,000 beyond what the district can provide.

Three of 10 high schools and eight of 18 middle schools hold the Title 1 designation.

Elementary schools are preparing to implement a three-hour literacy block that also incorporates an independent reading program as one of its many elements. Again, rich classroom libraries are crucial. At the elementary level, all students will be exposed to the literacy program.

Elementary school classrooms also will each need about $4,000 worth of materials to get started. Elementary schools can tap mill levy textbook money, Amendment 23 money, Title I funds, and part of the district's textbook funds to start but they still won't have enough.

Even with the The Morgridge Family Fund of The Denver Foundation grant, the financial need will likely exceed the funds available. With 1,333 elementary classrooms, a total of $5.3 million is needed. With schools providing about 75 percent of the amount required, the district will continue to develop other sources of funding to build classroom libraries at the elementary level.

"The donation from the The Morgridge Family Fund of The Denver Foundation goes a long way toward helping Denver classrooms quickly reach our goal of providing a wealth of books and information in each classroom," said Mentor Hay. "We are off to a terrific start with this gift and we thank them deeply for it."