Walsh Announces Literacy Grant for Northwest Area School District

October 28, 2026

HARRISBURG – State Rep. Jamie Walsh (R-Luzerne) announced that Northwest Area School District has been awarded a $168,094 Pennsylvania Structured Literacy Grant to support its literacy curriculum.

“This funding will help Northwest build upon the important literacy work already taking place in the district and provide students with additional opportunities to strengthen their reading, writing and comprehension skills,” said Walsh. “Effective literacy programming can help support students’ needs, build confidence and make sure every student has the foundation needed to succeed in school and beyond.”

The funding will help the district build the systems, instructional capacity and evidence-based resources necessary to meet structured literacy requirements.

Grants may be used to support activities including:

• Purchasing High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) aligned to Structured Literacy and the Science of Reading.
• Acquiring Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)-approved universal reading screening assessments for students in grades K-3.
• Supporting educator participation in PDE-approved structured literacy professional development.
• Developing local implementation plans that align curriculum, assessment, intervention and professional learning.
• Building sustainable literacy systems through coaching, data-based decision making and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS-Reading).
• Strengthening collaboration among district leaders, principals, literacy coaches and instructional staff to ensure consistent implementation across schools.

“This is an important investment in the future of Northwest students,” said Walsh.

Representative Jamie Walsh
117th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
tlehman@pahousegop.com
RepWalsh.com / Facebook.com/RepJamieWalsh