SB 857 - This act establishes the "Elementary Literacy Fund" for the purpose of providing grants to school districts and charter schools for home reading programs for children in kindergarten to 5th grade. The General Assembly shall annually appropriate an amount not to exceed $5 million to the Fund, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall develop a process by which a district or charter school may apply for a grant. Any district or charter school that receives such a grant shall match any funds that are granted. The act sets forth certain criteria for a home reading program to be considered eligible for a grant from the Fund. Such program's objective shall be to mail books to students' homes that the students select themselves at a reading level with which they are comfortable. The program shall allow for parental engagement, as specified in the act, and shall allow students to select between six and nine new books to keep. The program provider shall provide summary data on the program to the General Assembly and to DESE, and shall further maintain verification that the provider has secured the required matching funds from the district or charter school. The combined total cost of the program, including matching funds from the district or charter school, shall not exceed $60 per student per semester.
OLIVIA SHANNON