Manhattan District Adopts New Math Program After Comprehensive Review

The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education unanimously approved the adoption of Eureka Math Squared for kindergarten through eighth grade on Tuesday, concluding a year-long evaluation process involving 25 teachers and extensive community feedback.

The decision came after curriculum committee members piloted two math programs—Eureka Math Squared and Envision—for five weeks each during the spring semester. Cheryl Donovan, the district’s curriculum director, presented the recommendation to the board following comprehensive feedback collection from teachers, students, and parents.

“The people in this room are the masters behind their craft,” Donovan told the board, referring to the teaching staff present at the meeting. “By having a common resource we can provide our kids with consistency from K-8, alignment, challenge and support in their daily lessons, engagement for our staff and our students, and strong communication home with our families.”

The evaluation process included multiple feedback mechanisms: parent and student surveys, optional meetings for pilot teachers, collaborative staff platforms, and detailed evaluation surveys comparing both resources to current practices. According to Donovan’s presentation, Eureka Math Squared outperformed Envision in eight of 13 curriculum areas, four of five assessment categories, and received higher confidence ratings from teachers for implementation.

Parent survey results showed similar positive responses for both programs, with over 75 percent of parents reporting their children’s attitudes toward math either stayed the same or improved. Students rated both resources favorably on lesson and assessment components, with narrative comments providing constructive feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.

The staff evaluation revealed that Eureka Math Squared aligned more strongly with four of the district’s five instructional priorities and generated more identified strengths with fewer barriers than Envision. Teachers particularly noted Eureka’s student-centered approach, though they acknowledged it would require adaptation to new instructional methods emphasizing math discourse and student engagement.

“Eureka prides itself on being accessible for all kids, having an entry point to math, being teachable for our teachers—it was written by teachers for teachers—and being engaging,” Donovan explained to the board.

The first-year implementation will include professional development and support for staff, teacher manuals, student workbooks with online access, and classroom manipulatives. The board approved the fiscal year 2026 costs, with discussions planned for potential multi-year pricing through the finance committee.

Board member Brian Anderson thanked the participating teachers for their commitment to the pilot process. “Being a curriculum guy in my school, I understand the time and effort that it takes,” Anderson said. “The time and effort is out of your normal routine to implement two different things, and the conversations that [we’ve] been having have been amazing.”

The new math program represents a significant investment in curriculum consistency across the district’s four buildings, addressing what administrators identified as a need for aligned mathematical instruction from elementary through junior high levels.

The adoption follows the district’s practice of comprehensive program evaluation, ensuring new resources meet both educational standards and the specific needs of Manhattan students and families.