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Support overrides to bring new state-mandated literacy program to elementary school

by Brian Killeen  ·   Friday, April 4, 2025

I encourage everyone in town to support the Tier 1 and Tier 2 overrides on May 6 to ensure the state-mandated Elementary Literacy Program is brought to our school, recognizing its importance in both education and civic engagement.

 The new literacy program will bring Harvard into mandated compliance while enabling access to millions of dollars worth of grants that are only available to districts with compliant programs. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Comprehensive Literacy State Development program offers grants that can total up to $49 million over five years. Additionally, the Early Literacy Consortium Grant provides funding to promote improved teacher preparation and development in evidence-based early literacy instruction, providing a much needed change in curriculum for the benefit of all HES students.

These potential grants can help offset the burden to our residential tax base in maintaining the essential services our public schools have been providing our kids for years. With the implementation of this program, we expect to see a boost in our kids’ reading early on, given that schools receiving DESE grants have shown a 15% increase in reading proficiency among students. Schools with well-funded literacy programs also report higher student engagement and lower dropout rates.

 Supporting Tiers 1 and 2 of the override is a sound financial decision for our town, and has the added benefit of being the right thing to do for our students.

 On a personal level, I remember when I was in elementary school, struggling with reading. It wasn’t until a dedicated teacher took the time to help me that I truly began to enjoy and excel in reading. That experience changed my life, and I believe the Elementary Literacy Program can do the same for our Harvard Public School students. By giving our HES kids strong literacy skills, we empower them to become engaged citizens who can think critically, make informed decisions, and fully participate in civic life.

 Let’s work together to build a more literate, informed, and engaged community in Harvard.

Brian Killeen
Lancaster County Road

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