[PL-Directors] Update on Ready to Read Funding

[Jim Scheppke]

Dear Directors:
I wanted you to have the latest news about what to expect for funding for the Ready to Read Grant Program this year and next year.

On Friday the Ways and Means Committee passed out SB 5521, our budget for the 2011-13 biennium. It contains a budget for the Ready to Read Grant program of $1,215,438. This is a 3% reduction from the program budget in the 2009-11 biennium which was $1,250,074. The 2011-13 budget is equivalent to 78 cents per child per year.

You will recall that we started the 2009-11 biennium with funding for the program at 94 cents per child per year. However in the second year of the biennium the program experienced two across-the-board reductions that reduced the funding for grants made last December to 67 cents per child per year.

Those of you who receive more than the minimum $1,000 grant should expect an increase in the grant you receive this December of 16%. In December 2012 your grant should be just slightly larger than the grant you receive this December. This will reflect the difference in funding from 67 cents per child in the second year of the 2007-09 biennium to 78 cents per child in both years of the 2011-13 biennium. The reason the grants go up slightly in the second year of the biennium is because they are based on the estimated growth in the number of children, birth-14, in the state.

SB 5521 also keeps funding for he Ready to Read Grant program in the OSL budget for now. You may recall that Governor Kitzhaber proposed to move the program to the Early Learning Council, a new agency that he is creating. The Legislature decided not to do this until the Early Learning Council is better established. They will probably look at this again when they meet next February.

SB 5521 still has to be approved by both chambers of the Legislature and signed by the Governor, but we expect this to happen in the next few weeks.

As usual we will be sending out the applications for Ready to Read Grants on July 1st this year including an estimate of your grant award.

I know this is kind of confusing, so please let me know if you have any questions about this.

Jim Scheppke, State Librarian
Oregon State Library
250 Winter St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-378-4367
(fax) 503-585-8059
jim.b.scheppke at state.or.us

[cid:3388992931_626596]Go Green, Keep it on screen - think before you print.
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