Michigan Department of Education announces $10 million grant program for literacy innovation

Delsa Chapman, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent | Michigan Department of Education

One hundred fifteen public school districts, charter schools, and intermediate school districts in Michigan have applied for state grant funding aimed at supporting innovative literacy programs. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced that these applications are for the Reading Excellence and Advancing District (READ) Innovation Grant.

The READ Innovation Grant is funded through $10 million allocated in Section 35n of the State School Aid Act for fiscal year 2025. The legislature set aside this money to help eligible school districts start new approaches to improve student literacy.

“We appreciate the significant interest that local districts have in innovation in literacy,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “The READ Innovation Grant supports Goal 2 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to improve early literacy achievement.”

Applicants will compete for three rounds of funding over a three-year period. Each round will end with one district per competition category—elementary and secondary innovations—receiving a $500,000 award. In the first round, at least 36 out of the 115 applicants will be chosen to receive up to $187,500 each for their projects during the 2025-26 school year. Those selected will be notified in September.

Districts receiving initial funding must report on their progress. Six finalists will then be chosen and given an additional $375,000 each during the 2026-27 school year to expand their efforts. In summer 2027, two districts determined to have made the most impact on student achievement will receive $500,000 as incentive awards.

This $10 million grant comes alongside another $87 million provided by Section 35m funds approved by the state legislature and Governor Gretchen Whitmer for research-based instructional materials in fiscal year 2025. Sixty-four percent of Michigan’s districts and intermediate school districts applied for Section 35m grants, showing widespread demand for evidence-based resources that can help raise student literacy levels.

MDE has advocated throughout the year—and in its 2025 Legislative Priorities Letter—for lawmakers to increase Section 35m funding in future budgets. This would support implementation of Public Act 146 of 2024, a new law requiring schools to use science-based reading materials, screen students for dyslexia traits, and provide interventions starting with the 2027-28 academic year.

“Additional Section 35m funding from the state legislature this year would help more districts get an early start on implementation of this transformative new state literacy/dyslexia law,” Dr. Rice said.

The department noted that extra funding would let more districts apply or allow current recipients to seek grants for other program categories as they continue building comprehensive literacy programs.

“Student achievement continues to be our focus,” said Dr. Delsa Chapman, deputy superintendent of the MDE Division of Assessment, School Improvement, and Systems Support. “We are excited about providing this set of vital resources to local districts.”