Missoula early literacy programs add classrooms as new school year starts

Missoula County Public Schools’ new early literacy program has more students registered this year than last year, meaning nearly 150 local children who meet requirements are getting a boost in educational support before starting kindergarten. 

The program gets students who aren’t on track to be literate by third grade enrolled into classes to jump-start their reading and writing skills. The district was able to increase its capacity for the 2024-25 school year in how many early literacy sections it offers, MCPS Superintendent Micah Hill said. 

In 2023, MCPS partnered with the University of Montana to add three early literacy classrooms through a grant program. State law funding changed for literacy programs in 2024, Hill said, and the district decided to add four new sections.

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“It was good to see that our enrollments stabilized in K-5 this year and that we have increased enrollment overall thanks to the early literacy program,” Hill said in an interview with the Missoulian.

Last year, the district had five early literacy programs, with a total of about 69 students. For 2024-2025, MCPS has nine sections with an additional 79 students, for a total of 148. 

Hill

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