April 30, 2026 3:40 a.m. 

On Tuesday, Governor Tina Kotek announced the recipients of the 2026-28 State Summer Learning Grants.

A release from the Governor’s office said this is a $35 million annual investment established by the Oregon State Legislature in 2025 to expand access to high-quality summer learning programs that strengthen literacy and support student success.

While nine Douglas County School Districts and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians received funding from the program, the Roseburg School District did not.

Superintendent Jared Cordon said Roseburg Schools did apply, but was ranked 107th in the state, just outside the 106 districts that received funding.

In a statement to News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN, Cordon said, “This was a highly competitive process based on criteria including student achievement data, poverty rates, district size and geographic factors”. Cordon said, “Like many competitive grants, the scoring system prioritizes districts with the highest levels of need as defined by those measures”.

Cordon said, “This outcome highlights an ongoing challenge for districts like ours, where significant student needs exist but may not always rise to the highest priority level within statewide formulas”. Cordon said this meant that despite a clear need and a strong plan to serve more than 1,100 students with K-8 literacy and math support, the district did not receive funding. Cordon said the state’s current summer learning grant model is structured as a three-year cycle, meaning the district will not have the opportunity to reapply next year.

Cordon said, “We will continue to provide Extended School Year services for special education students and high school credit retrieval opportunities this summer, and we remain committed to advocating for resources that better reflect the needs of our students and community”.

Roseburg Schools Communications Coordinator Chelsea Duncan said had the district been approved for the Summer Learning Grants, it would have received $999,215 per year for the program.  Duncan said the district is seeking clarification and advocating for further review on the matter.