Funding ClassMate for Middle School Classrooms
Multiple funding pathways exist to bring ClassMate by World Book to your district—from federal funds to state literacy initiatives and private grants.
Learn more about your options so you know how to start the conversation with your district's federal programs or business office.
Funding Pathways to Support Literacy in Your District
Every district faces the same challenge: securing the resources needed to close literacy gaps without straining local budgets. The good news is that multiple funding pathways can support the purchase of ClassMate. Whether your district draws on federal formula funds, state literacy initiatives, or private grants, there is likely a route that fits your circumstances.
This page outlines the primary funding options available.
Use it as a starting point for conversations with your district's federal programs or business office, who will confirm what applies to your specific situation.
Federal Funding Sources
Federal funds are routed through your State Education Agency (SEA) to the local school district. Each program carries its own eligibility rules and allowable uses. ClassMate is positioned as a supplemental resource, consistent with the "supplement-not-supplant" standard tied to a documented literacy need.
Title I, Part A
Supports high-poverty schools and specific student subgroups, including economically disadvantaged students, English learners, students with disabilities, and those performing below proficiency. Allowable for supplemental literacy support.
Title II, Part A
Funds educator professional development. Best aligned with ClassMate implementation training and coaching, rather than product licenses.
Title III, Part A
Serves English learners and immigrant students. Allowable for English language development and content-literacy support.
Title IV, Part A (SSAE)
A flexible funding stream for well-rounded education and educational technology.
Title IV, Part B (21st CCLC)
A competitive grant supporting afterschool and summer academic programs in Title I schools.
Title I, Section 1003 (School Improvement)
Provides additional funds for identified low-performing campuses, supporting improvement plans that address documented literacy gaps.
IDEA, Part B
Serves students with disabilities. Allowable when using ClassMate's accessibility features to meet identified student needs.
State-Level Funding
State opportunities vary considerably depending on where your district operates. Learn about the two broad categories that typically apply:
CLSD Award States (23 Jurisdictions)
Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) subgrants provide a dedicated literacy funding pool on top of standard federal titles. A minimum of 40% of each state's total is reserved for grades 6–12. In these states, districts often lead with Title IV, Part A combined with the CLSD professional development and coaching line.
Non-CLSD States
Districts in the remaining jurisdictions rely on a combination of federal titles, state allotments, and local funds. Purchasing options include:
Local discretionary funds
Flexible state allotments
At-risk, compensatory, or weighted-pupil formula funding
Statewide education funds and foundation aid models
To confirm what is available, contact your SEA instructional-materials office, school-finance office, EL/bilingual office, literacy office, or grants portal.
Compliance & Eligibility
We understand that funding decisions carry real weight for your students and staff, and we want to set clear, honest expectations.
ClassMate is a supplemental, research-informed resource that is ISTE Seal–recognized. In addition, ClassMate is ESSA Level IV Certified by Digital Promise. Please keep the following in mind:
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Final eligibility determinations rest with your district. Your district's federal programs or business office makes all final decisions regarding fund eligibility and purchasing.
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No coverage is guaranteed. The information here identifies potential pathways only. We cannot state that any fund will or does cover ClassMate.
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Certain funds have restrictions. CLSD materials lines and state-adoption pots generally require ESSA Tier 1–3 status, which ClassMate does not currently hold. In these cases, districts typically lead with professional development lines or flexible allotments.
"We were able to bring ClassMate to our students using Title IV, Part A funds combined with our state literacy allocation. The process was straightforward once we connected with our federal programs office, and now our struggling readers have the immediate support they need."
— District Curriculum Coordinator