Miami Lakes EAB agrees to seek larger Imagination Library allocation

The Miami Lakes Education Advisory Board on June 9 agreed to request that the Town Council increase the board's Imagination Library allocation to $7,000 for the coming fiscal year.

Board members said the program, which mails books to young children, has seen per-child costs rise and that the current $4,000 line no longer covers participation levels. Staff told the board invoices have ranged from about $5.20 to $5.70 per child in recent months.

Board staff reviewed the EAB's overall allotment of $45,500 and noted the existing breakdown: a $1,000 event budget, $4,000 to Friends of the Library, $4,000 for the Imagination Library in the current year, and $10,000 for STEM grants to schools. Staff reported $2,900 in sponsorships had been received and $2,720 in event actuals had been posted.

Committee members said they preferred to keep most line items the same and raise only the Imagination Library budget because the program is "all in or not," meaning partial participation is not supported by the vendor. The board agreed to increase the requested amount to $7,000 and to submit the revised budget request to town staff for presentation to the Town Council.

The board directed staff to prepare the paperwork for the council submission and to follow up on any outstanding credit-card postings that affect available event funds. The EAB did not record a roll-call vote on the change during the meeting; members indicated consensus support and staff said they would turn in the revised budget paperwork to the town.