Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55 Awarded Over $277,000 Through Five Grants

MATTAPOISETT — Superintendent Michael S. Nelson is pleased to announce that the Old Rochester Regional School District and Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 have secured $277,468 through five education grants to support early childhood programs, literacy instruction, civics education and career preparation.

The Old Rochester Regional School Committee accepted the five grants at its Sept. 30 meeting.

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Sharlene Fedorowicz, Early Education Coordinator Doreen Lopes and Old Rochester Regional High School Assistant Principal Lauren Millette led the grant application work.

Preparing the applications required staff to review funding requirements, identify student and program needs, develop proposals and prepare budgets showing how the funds would be used. For the competitive grants, those applications also had to demonstrate why the school system’s proposals merited funding.

“I am especially proud of the work our administrators and teachers put into pursuing these opportunities,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Fedorowicz. “Grant writing requires significant time, collaboration, and attention to detail, particularly when competing for limited awards. Our team works together to identify opportunities, develop strong proposals, and create thoughtful plans for how the grants will benefit our students.”

The awards include:

• The Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant — $75,468: A Department of Early Education and Care continuation grant supporting coordinated services for young children and their families, including family engagement, early learning activities and connections to community resources. The funding will support the school district’s ongoing family and community engagement efforts.
• The Civics Teaching and Learning Grant — $30,000: A competitive grant through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), funded by the state’s Civics Project Trust Fund, to support civics instruction, educator development and student civics projects. The school district will use the funding to support civics education and student participation in civic projects and activities.
• The Innovations Career Pathways Implementation and Support Grant  —  $50,000: A competitive DESE grant providing designated Innovation Career Pathways programs with resources to support implementation of approved career pathways and related college and career readiness opportunities. ORR High School will use the funding to support the Innovation Career Pathways program that it launched during the 2025-26 school year.
• The Partnership for Reading Success (Massachusetts Cohort II) Grant   — $117,000: A competitive DESE grant supporting the selection and implementation of high-quality PreK-3 English language arts and literacy instructional materials, along with educator coaching and professional learning. The school district will use the funding to strengthen early literacy instruction and expand access to high-quality literacy materials.
• The Career Technical Education Frameworks and Competency Based Implementation Grant — $5,000: A competitive DESE grant supporting state-designated career technical education programs as they align curriculum, instruction and assessment with Massachusetts CTE frameworks and competency-based practices.

“These awards reflect the expertise, initiative, and hard work of our administrators and teachers,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Fedorowicz. “Most importantly, they will create expanded opportunities and stronger programs for our students. We are proud of the collaborative work behind these grants and grateful to everyone who helped make these accomplishments possible.”

“The Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant will allow us to continue building strong connections with young children, families and the community,” said Early Education Coordinator Lopes. “These partnerships are an important part of getting children ready to learn before they start school, helping us to provide resources and support that our families deserve.”

“These grants will help Old Rochester Regional High School expand opportunities for students so that they can explore their interests and develop valuable skills that will help prepare them for their future careers,” said Assistant Principal Millette. “We want our students to graduate with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to pursue their goals after high school.”

“A great deal of work goes into these applications before we receive an award,” said Superintendent Nelson. “Dr. Fedorowicz, Doreen and Lauren put time and care into explaining what our students need and how we would use the funding. Securing competitive grants takes a strong proposal, and I appreciate the work they did to bring these resources to our schools.”

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