DELAND, Ill. (WCIA) — A Piatt County school is enhancing its students’ readiness for post-high school life by emphasizing reading and writing skills.

DeLand-Weldon Superintendent Michael Tresnak shared that the district received a state grant of several thousand dollars this year. They opted to use it to hire educators during the summer to create a fresh literacy curriculum for this academic year.

The superintendent noted that the school’s test performance typically hovers around average or slightly below when compared to state-wide results. He introduced the new plan on Wednesday and mentioned that teachers support the initiative.

“In the simplest terms, we aim to increase the time students spend reading and to broaden the writing opportunities available,” Tresnak explained. “For example, we might suggest to teachers to incorporate an essay question in their assessments to boost writing practice. That’s our focus.”

Tresnak said they have some of the money left over and are still deciding how to use it, moving forward.