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Early Literacy Foundation asks Finance, Ways and Means for $4.5 million to expand K–3 books and caregiver texts
Summary
James Pond, president of the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation, asked the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee to approve $3 million for third-grade book packets and $1.5 million for a caregiver texting program to extend K–3 literacy supports statewide.
James Pond, president of the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation, told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee that the foundation is seeking a $3,000,000 budget amendment to provide third-grade book packets and a separate $1,500,000 request to continue a caregiver texting program.
Pond said the foundation has provided Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children from birth through age 5 for about 20 years and that the state program now serves approximately 281,000 children, “which represents about 70% of state eligible children.” He described the K–3 expansion as a way to build home and classroom libraries and align summer book exposure with grade-level instruction.
The request would fund a packet of six books for roughly 85,000 third-grade students (three fiction and three nonfiction titles aligned to grade-level knowledge), and the texting program would send three weekly, age- and grade-appropriate SMS messages to caregivers across participating districts. Pond said the texting program has nearly a 90% retention rate in districts where it is in use and that the program was initially piloted using ESSER funds.
Representative Love asked how caregivers enroll; Pond replied that districts use a data-sharing agreement and an opt-out approach so caregivers are automatically enrolled unless they choose to opt out. Vice Chair Gillespie asked about Shelby County; Pond said Shelby County participates strongly in the infancy program (serving about 45,000 children) and supports the K–3 work.
Pond referenced outcomes the foundation ties to its programming, including higher kindergarten readiness and increased classroom use of distributed books. He said the program served 233 school districts last year and distributed about 1.4 million books to students and classrooms in kindergarten through second grade.
No formal vote or committee action was taken during the presentation; the request was presented to the committee for consideration as part of ongoing budget hearings. Several legislators asked clarifying questions about enrollment, county participation and program reach.
The committee did not take immediate action on the request; budget hearings were scheduled to continue the following day.
