Baucus, Tester announce $400,000 for Arlee School District

Grants will be used for English/Salish literacy program

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester today announced that the Arlee School District will receive two $200,000 renewable grants for the district's Native American program.

Baucus and Tester said the elementary school will use the grant for an immersion program called N'kusum.  The program will pay for an in-depth literacy program in English for K-12 students. It will also include a component in Salish—a native language of the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes.

"This is a right thing to do for our children because improved reading skills will open up many doors for them and will lead to good-paying jobs," Baucus said. "I am always pleased to see federal grant money go to our public schools."

"Improving literacy among our young people is an investment not only in their future but in the future of the Flathead Reservation," said Tester, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "These grants will go a long way in combining the heritage of the Salish language with the reading and writing skills kids need to get ahead.

Both $200,000 grants are renewable for up to four years. They will come from the U.S. Department of Education.