AUBURN — Washburn Elementary School in Auburn has been awarded a $1.63 million grant over five years to help boost student learning, the Maine Department of Education announced Tuesday.

The MDOE grant will provide about $290,000 the first year, $390,000 in the second; $400,000 in the third and fourth years, and $40,000 in the fifth year, Superintendent Katy Grondin said.

The money will provide for new teaching practices. The goal is, by the end of the grant, Washburn will continue practices “so the school is prepared to stand on its own” without extra money, Grondin said.

“It will be a lot of work, but we’re excited,” Principal Laura Shaw said Tuesday. This is her second year as principal. “It’s evident teachers are hardworking and very skilled,” Shaw said. “But we want to be focused on professional development in some areas we need to work on.”

The grant pay for six new staff members to enhance learning, including several teacher coaches, educational technicians to free up class time so teachers can receive professional development, and a pre-kindergarten teacher/parent liaison to work with families.

Washburn has 238 students in grades kindergarten to six. Eighty percent of families in the Washburn community are below the federal poverty line, 82 percent of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, making Washburn the most economically disadvantaged of Auburn’s eight schools, according to the DOE.

Washburn has struggled with high teacher turnover rates and low student achievement. Forty three percent of students are proficient in math and 52 percent in reading, which is well below the state average.

The grant will allow the school to put a greater focus on early learning, “to really understand the population we’re dealing with at Washburn,” Shaw said. “What is it about these kids, why aren’t we achieving?” she asked.

New learning practices will help teachers “figure these kids out and set up strong foundational skills,” she said.

The parent liaison will help families support their students. “In school there’s a bunch of things we know to do, but sometimes things out of school happen that work against student success, a student being truant, a family becoming homeless, issues with siblings that have disabilities,” Shaw said.

A parent liaison would work with families offering support and resources that could help students be more successful.

Superintendent Grondin said the grant is a “wonderful opportunity for families and students to receive additional support.” It will allow the school “to build on what they’ve already started. They’ve done a lot to address the needs of students. Things they’ve said, ‘I wish we could have this,’ the grant is fulfilling. There’ll be more support for math, an additional instructional coach to help with customized learning, things we wish all schools could have.”

Changes at Washburn will be a great model for other Auburn schools to watch for effectiveness as future budget decisions are made, Grondin said.

Often a school improvement grant stipulates the school get a new principal. That won’t happen in Washburn’s case because Shaw has only been there one year, Grondin said.

No teachers will be replaced, but the School Department had to commit to not staffing Washburn with any teachers not considered effective. All Washburn teachers are effective or higher, Grondin said.

One challenge will be asking teachers to stay at Washburn once they’ve received coaching and training. If they don’t stay that could weaken goals of the school improvement grant.

“We want to make sure our return on the investment holds,” Grondin said.