$10 Million to Help Pennsylvania Kids Read:First Literacy Grants Awarded Under Ortitay Law

October 19, 2026

Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry among the first districts funded to bring proven reading instruction into the classroom
HARRISBURG – Too many Pennsylvania children reach fourth grade still struggling to read. Starting today that begins to change as the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) awarded $10 million in structured literacy grants, which will reach 54 elementary schools in 21 counties across the Commonwealth.

This is the first round of funding to put Act 47 of 2025 to work in classrooms. Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny) authored the law, which requires schools to use evidence-based reading instruction, screen students early and step in the moment a child starts to fall behind.

“This is the day I’ve been working toward,” Ortitay said. “Learning to read is the foundation for everything that comes after it. Every class, every job, every opportunity starts there. When a child can’t read, every door gets harder to open. These grants put real tools in the hands of the teachers who need them and that is going to change lives.”

Two school districts in the 46th Legislative District are among the first to receive funding – Chartiers-Houston was awarded $231,854, and Fort Cherry received $180,975.

“I’m proud Chartiers-Houston and Fort Cherry are at the front of the line,” Ortitay said. “Their students will be some of the first in Pennsylvania to see the difference. This is only the first round, and I’m going to keep fighting until every child in this state gets the chance to become a confident reader.”

Districts will use the grants to:
• Screen students early so struggling readers are identified before they fall behind.
• Train teachers in proven, research-based methods of reading instruction.
• Replace outdated materials with new, evidence-based curriculum.
• Provide hands-on literacy coaching for teachers in the classroom.
• Deliver targeted reading interventions for students who need extra help.

“Only about one-third of our fourth graders are reading on grade level, and that’s not because our kids can’t learn,” Ortitay added. “It’s because for too long we weren’t teaching them the way the research shows children actually learn to read. Our teachers have been asking for better tools and better training. Now they’re getting them.”

The 46th Legislative District includes South Fayette Township and McDonald and Oakdale boroughs in Allegheny County. It also encompasses Cecil, Chartiers, Mt. Pleasant and North Strabane (Districts 6,7,8 and 9) townships and Canonsburg, Houston and McDonald boroughs in Washington County.

Representative Jason Ortitay
46th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tracy Polovick
717.260.6358
tpolovick@pahousegop.com
RepOrtitay.com / Facebook.com/RepOrtitay