The Louisiana Legislature has taken a significant step to enhance literacy among students by expanding eligibility for the Reading Enrichment and Academic Divisionals (READ) program. During a recent meeting, lawmakers discussed House Bill 201, which aims to automatically include approximately 51,000 students from D and F schools in the program, targeting those who are reading below grade level.

The READ program, originally established in 2022, provides home libraries to students in pre-K through fifth grade who struggle with reading. Currently, about 140,000 children qualify for the program, but only 20,000 are enrolled. The proposed amendment seeks to streamline enrollment by automatically qualifying students in underperforming schools, thereby addressing a critical gap in literacy support.

Larry Holland from Scholastic highlighted the success of similar initiatives, particularly Florida's New World's Reading Initiative, which has shown promising results in improving reading scores among participants. Florida's program has enrolled around 320,000 children and distributed over 9 million books, leading to a 70% improvement in reading outcomes for those involved.

The fiscal implications of expanding the program were also discussed, with estimates ranging from $1.5 million to $3.5 million needed to support the additional students. Currently, each eligible child receives 12 books annually, delivered to their homes, but the new model may shift to delivering books to schools, potentially reducing costs.

As the bill moves forward, it remains contingent on appropriations, emphasizing the need for continued funding to ensure that all eligible students can benefit from this vital literacy initiative. The expansion of the READ program represents a proactive approach to addressing educational disparities and fostering a culture of reading among Louisiana's youth.