TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) today announced it has awarded almost $13.6 million for the first year of federally funded Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grants to improve student literacy throughout the state.
“My Administration has made it a priority to equip our children with the skills and support necessary to set them up for lifelong success. This includes our work to bolster literacy education and improve literacy rates among New Jersey students, ensuring our young learners can thrive in the classroom and throughout their academic careers,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Literacy is the tool that unlocks the opportunities education creates for our students. These grant awards will help sustain our efforts to infuse best practices into classrooms across our state, uplifting our school communities with crucial tools and resources.”
“Literacy is a foundational skill needed for learning in all subjects, and these grants build upon our commitment to improving literacy for students across New Jersey,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer. “The strength of this initiative is its comprehensive design. It builds a network of teacher coaches, equips schools with training and high-quality materials, and supports readers from birth through high school.”
“Literacy is the foundation for success in every lesson our children are taught, and building that foundation requires the commitment of everyone – parents, educators, and students alike,” said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz. “These new grant programs take a holistic approach to strengthening literacy – training educators to deliver effective instruction, equipping schools with evidence-based resources, and fostering meaningful familial connections through reading at home. This is just one of the first exciting strides in what will be a years-long pursuit to improve our literacy infrastructure and ensure we meet the needs of every young reader.”
New Jersey was awarded a total of $50 million in the federal CLSD grant to be used over five years. The first year of New Jersey’s CLSD program establishes four distinct grant programs:
- Cultivating Ongoing Achievement through Coaching in Literacy (COACH-L grants) for teacher coaches: Nearly $6 million in grant funding will help 41 school districts and charter schools hire or train qualified literacy coaches to support kindergarten to grade-12 educators. Grantees will participate in a statewide coaching network.
- Reading Intervention for Secondary Engagement (RISE) for middle and high-school readers: Over $1,000,000 will provide funding for school districts and charter schools to implement evidence-based best practices or high-quality literacy instruction materials identified through criteria set by the NJDOE. Eligible costs include tutors, literacy coaches, and staff training. A total of 31 districts and charter schools have been awarded up to $50,000 in the first round of funding.
- Instructional Materials for Professional Advancement and Coherent Teaching (IMPACT) grants for high-quality instruction materials and training: This nearly $5 million grant will help schools implement high-quality instructional materials and provide professional development to ensure staff will effectively utilize the materials. Awards have been given to 25 school districts and charter schools, which range up to $400,000.
- Literacy Initiative for Families and Thriving Communities (LIFT) grants for family outreach: This nearly $1.6 million initiative, led by the NJDOE in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, provides funding of up to $60,000 for 41 districts and charter schools in this initial year to create programs that develop home-based literacy habits and encourage family involvement in literacy development of children from newborns to age 3.
The grants will build upon the recently released New Jersey Literacy Framework, the NJDOE’s resource that supports school districts with valuable evidence-based guidance on the implementation of high-quality literacy screening assessments and strategies for successful literacy instruction and intervention.
Pending the availability of federal funds, the CLSD grant program will continue supporting the COACH program for awarded grantees in good standing for the next four years, and introduce new cohorts of awardees for the IMPACT, LIFT, and RISE grant programs. The NJDOE also intends to make an additional round of LIFT grants available this year.
The preliminary awards for each grant program for the 2025-2026 school year are as follows:
COACH Grants – Total: $5,980,981
|
County |
School District or Charter School |
Grant Award |
|
Atlantic |
Absecon Public Schools District |
$150,000 |
|
Atlantic |
Atlantic Community Charter School |
$150,000 |
|
Burlington |
Mount Holly Township Public School District |
$136,000 |
|
Burlington |
Burlington City Public School District |
$149,995 |
|
Camden |
LEAP Academy University Charter School |
$149,999 |
|
Camden |
Gloucester Township Public Schools |
$150,000 |
|
Camden |
Hope Community Charter School |
$149,291 |
|
Camden |
Clementon Elementary School District |
$150,000 |
|
Cape May |
North Wildwood School District |
$150,000 |
|
Cumberland |
Deerfield Township School District |
$149,865 |
|
Essex |
Marion P. Thomas Charter School |
$150,000 |
|
Essex |
Philip’s Academy Charter School |
$124,999 |
|
Essex |
Orange Board of Education School District |
$149,895 |
|
Essex |
East Orange School District |
$149,891 |
|
Gloucester |
Clayton Public School District |
$149,943 |
|
Gloucester |
Woodbury City Public School District |
$149,999 |
|
Gloucester |
Glassboro School District |
$150,000 |
|
Hudson |
Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School |
$100,000 |
|
Hudson |
Harrison Public Schools |
$142,680 |
|
Hudson |
Hudson Arts and Science Charter School |
$149,999 |
|
Mercer |
Foundation Academy Charter School |
$149,995 |
|
Middlesex |
New Brunswick School District |
$149,999 |
|
Middlesex |
Middlesex Borough School District |
$102,390 |
|
Middlesex |
Middlesex County STEM Charter School |
$150,000 |
|
Middlesex |
Dunellen Public School District |
$150,000 |
|
Middlesex |
South River Public School District |
$150,000 |
|
Middlesex |
South Amboy School District |
$147,978 |
|
Monmouth |
Keyport School District |
$150,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Keansburg School District |
$149,949 |
|
Monmouth |
Red Bank Charter School |
$128,121 |
|
Morris |
Dover Public School District |
$150,000 |
|
Ocean |
Jackson Township School District |
$149,995 |
|
Ocean |
Toms River Regional School District |
$150,000 |
|
Ocean |
Central Regional School District |
$150,000 |
|
Passaic |
Passaic Arts and Science Charter School |
$149,999 |
|
Passaic |
Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology |
$150,000 |
|
Passaic |
Paterson Arts and Science Charter School |
$149,999 |
|
Passaic |
Clifton Public School District |
$150,000 |
|
Salem |
Quinton Township School District |
$150,000 |
|
Salem |
Salem City School District |
$150,000 |
|
Somerset |
Manville School District |
$150,000 |
RISE Grants – Total: $1,064,664
|
County |
School District or Charter School |
Grant Award |
|
Atlantic |
Absecon Public Schools District |
$30,000 |
|
Atlantic |
Somers Point School District |
$30,000 |
|
Bergen |
Wallington Borough School District |
$48,530 |
|
Bergen |
Englewood Public School District |
$50,000 |
|
Bergen |
Bergenfield Borough School District |
$50,000 |
|
Bergen |
Bogota Public School District |
$50,000 |
|
Bergen |
Little Ferry Public School District |
$30,000 |
|
Camden |
Gloucester Township Public Schools |
$50,000 |
|
Camden |
Pine Hill School District |
$50,000 |
|
Camden |
Hope Community Charter School |
$16,704 |
|
Cumberland |
Maurice River Township School District |
$30,000 |
|
Cumberland |
Deerfield Township School District |
$19,904 |
|
Essex |
Marion P. Thomas Charter School |
$50,000 |
|
Essex |
Discovery Charter School |
$20,000 |
|
Essex |
Essex Regional Educational Services Commission |
$20,000 |
|
Gloucester |
Gateway Regional High School District |
$30,000 |
|
Gloucester |
Westville Borough Public School District |
$20,000 |
|
Gloucester |
National Park Borough School District |
$20,000 |
|
Hudson |
Hudson Arts and Science Charter School |
$30,000 |
|
Middlesex |
New Brunswick School District |
$50,000 |
|
Middlesex |
Middlesex County STEM Charter School |
$30,000 |
|
Middlesex |
Dunellen Public School District |
$50,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Keyport School District |
$30,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Red Bank Charter School |
$19,996 |
|
Monmouth |
Bradley Beach School District |
$19,530 |
|
Morris |
Netcong School District |
$20,000 |
|
Ocean |
Jackson Township School District |
$50,000 |
|
Passaic |
Community Charter School of Paterson |
$30,000 |
|
Passaic |
Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology |
$50,000 |
|
Salem |
Quinton Township School District |
$20,000 |
|
Somerset |
Franklin Township Public School District |
$50,000 |
IMPACT Grants – Total: $4,975,541
|
County |
School District or Charter School |
Grant Award |
|
Bergen |
Hackensack School District |
$200,000 |
|
Bergen |
Bergenfield Borough School District |
$200,000 |
|
Bergen |
Bergen Arts and Science Charter School |
$50,000 |
|
Burlington |
Burlington City Public School District |
$99,943 |
|
Burlington |
Mount Holly Township Public School District |
$100,000 |
|
Camden |
Winslow Township School District |
$199,985 |
|
Camden |
Gloucester Township Public Schools |
$200,000 |
|
Cumberland |
Vineland Public School District |
$398,468 |
|
Cumberland |
Compass Academy Charter School |
$99,999 |
|
Essex |
East Orange School District |
$399,940 |
|
Essex |
Newark Public School District |
$400,000 |
|
Hudson |
Kearny School District |
$200,000 |
|
Hudson |
Hudson Arts and Science Charter School |
$30,000 |
|
Middlesex |
New Brunswick School District |
$400,000 |
|
Middlesex |
North Brunswick Township School District |
$198,009 |
|
Middlesex |
Dunellen Public School District |
$100,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Keansburg School District |
$99,999 |
|
Monmouth |
Keyport School District |
$100,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Eatontown Public School District |
$99,306 |
|
Ocean |
Brick Township Public School District |
$400,000 |
|
Ocean |
Jackson Township School District |
$400,000 |
|
Passaic |
Passaic Arts and Science Charter School |
$50,000 |
|
Passaic |
Paterson Arts and Science Charter School |
$50,000 |
|
Union |
Plainfield Public School District |
$400,000 |
|
Union |
Roselle Park Public School District |
$99,892 |
LIFT Grants – Total: $1,557,059
|
County |
School District or Charter School |
Grant Award |
|
Atlantic |
Egg Harbor City School District |
$20,000 |
|
Atlantic |
Mullica Township School District |
$20,000 |
|
Bergen |
Hackensack School District |
$60,000 |
|
Bergen |
Englewood Public School District |
$40,000 |
|
Bergen |
Moonachie School District |
$19,997 |
|
Bergen |
Little Ferry Public School District |
$20,000 |
|
Burlington |
Burlington City Public School District |
$39,976 |
|
Camden |
Gloucester Township Public Schools |
$60,000 |
|
Camden |
Brooklawn Public School District |
$20,000 |
|
Cape May |
Wildwood City School District |
$20,000 |
|
Cape May |
Woodbine School District |
$19,999 |
|
Cumberland |
Deerfield Township School District |
$19,997 |
|
Cumberland |
Millville School District |
$60,000 |
|
Cumberland |
Compass Academy Charter School |
$19,847 |
|
Essex |
Newark Public School District |
$60,000 |
|
Essex |
Belleville Public School District |
$59,988 |
|
Essex |
East Orange School District |
$60,000 |
|
Essex |
Orange Board of Education School District |
$60,000 |
|
Gloucester |
Clayton Public School District |
$40,000 |
|
Gloucester |
National Park Borough School District |
$9,265 |
|
Gloucester |
Westville Borough Public School District |
$20,000 |
|
Hudson |
Harrison Public Schools |
$39,993 |
|
Hudson |
Bayonne School District |
$55,569 |
|
Hudson |
Weehawken Public School District |
$40,000 |
|
Middlesex |
Middlesex Borough School District |
$40,000 |
|
Middlesex |
New Brunswick School District |
$60,000 |
|
Middlesex |
Dunellen Public School District |
$40,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Long Branch Public School District |
$60,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Red Bank Borough Public School District |
$33,500 |
|
Monmouth |
Keyport School District |
$20,000 |
|
Monmouth |
Keansburg School District |
$39,996 |
|
Monmouth |
Eatontown Public School District |
$39,765 |
|
Monmouth |
Asbury Park School District |
$39,303 |
|
Morris |
Netcong School District |
$20,000 |
|
Ocean |
Jackson Township School District |
$60,000 |
|
Salem |
Salem City School District |
$39,918 |
|
Salem |
Quinton Township School District |
$20,000 |
|
Somerset |
Manville School District |
$40,000 |
|
Union |
Roselle Park Public School District |
$40,000 |
|
Union |
Plainfield Public School District |
$60,000 |
|
Warren |
Mansfield Township Elementary School District |
$19,946 |