Combined grants from The Louis Calder Foundation and The Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation support teacher development and curriculum innovation
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — September 17, 2025 — KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools, a non-profit network of college-preparatory public charter schools educating elementary, middle and high school students, announced today it has been awarded more than $500,000 in combined philanthropic support to deepen literacy instruction and accelerate academic achievement across its network of schools.
The two-year, $350,000 grant from The Louis Calder Foundation marks a major philanthropic endorsement of KIPP Jacksonville’s ongoing strategy to ensure every child is taught by a highly trained, well-supported educator. The grant will support the continued expansion of KIPP Jacksonville’s English Language Arts program, including the purchase of Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA)-aligned materials and high-quality professional development through Lexia Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training. It also provides partial funding for key leadership roles driving literacy instruction and curricular implementation across schools. KIPP Jacksonville has already seen measurable gains in student outcomes and educator confidence – according to a recent teacher perception survey, 92% of teachers reported that LETRS improved their content knowledge.
The $163,000 grant from The Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation supports a new 11-month professional development series delivered through The LIT Group, focusing on comprehension-based reading instruction for third through fifth grade students. This initiative continues the progress made through KIPP Jacksonville’s prior work with The LIT Group, which brought K–2 literacy instruction into alignment with the Science of Reading and helped boost second-grade benchmark scores from 30 percent to 50 percent over two years. The new program aims to extend that success into upper elementary grades by providing targeted coaching for educators, with the goal of further improving instructional practice and accelerating student achievement.
“At KIPP Jacksonville, we are deeply committed to ensuring that every student builds a strong academic foundation – starting with literacy,” said KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools Executive Director Dr. Melissa Fullmore. “These investments allow us to equip our educators with the training, tools and curriculum they need to deliver evidence-based instruction with excellence and consistency. It’s a pivotal step toward ensuring all students have the opportunity to thrive academically and beyond.”
The new funding reflects KIPP Jacksonville’s reputation of excellence at the regional and national levels. Together, these grants power a continuation of KIPP Jacksonville’s multi-year focus on literacy, a cornerstone of the network’s academic strategy since 2019. These grants arrive during a milestone year for KIPP Jacksonville, as the network celebrates 15 years of service to the Jacksonville community. Since opening its doors in 2010 with a single fifth-grade cohort, KIPP Jacksonville has grown into a network of four schools across three campuses, serving more than 3,100 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. In May 2025, the network celebrated another historic first: the graduation of its inaugural senior class from Bold City High School.
“We are grateful to The Louis Calder Foundation and The Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation for these meaningful investments,” said KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools Chief Advancement Officer Ali Jaffery. “As we celebrate 15 years of growth and partnership, these grants reflect our community’s shared belief that every child deserves access to great teaching and a choice-filled life.”
KIPP Jacksonville is advancing a broader strategic vision to reimagine how the organization attracts, develops and retains top educators. With a focus on expanded certification pathways, instructional coaching, leadership development and performance-based compensation, this work aims to drive long-term talent growth and instructional excellence – ensuring that students, particularly those in Jacksonville’s highest-poverty ZIP codes, are taught by well-trained, well-supported and well-compensated educators.
For more information, visit www.kippjax.org.
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ABOUT KIPP JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools are tuition-free, public charter schools united around one goal: preparing students in underserved Jacksonville communities to make an impact in the world. Our newly constructed, beautifully maintained campuses are located on the north and west side of Jacksonville, and we serve over 3,100 students in grades kindergarten through 12. Every day, our dedicated educators and staff create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose — college, career, and beyond.
ABOUT THE LOUIS CALDER FOUNDATION:
The Louis Calder Foundation was established in 1951 “for educational, charitable, and benevolent uses and purposes.” To this day, The Foundation continues to follow and expand upon Louis Calder’s beliefs and efforts in promoting childhood education. The Foundation invests in organizations that seek to provide high-quality learning opportunities for children in under-resourced communities. We envision a nation where every child has the opportunity to obtain an excellent education, enabling them to walk a path to independence and success of their own choosing.