Bill > HB609

This bill establishes the Classroom Library Grant Program, which will provide science of reading curriculum-aligned books and materials to elementary school classrooms in Kentucky. The program will be overseen by the Kentucky Department of Education, which will select an administrator experienced in managing charitable, project-based platforms that help teachers request classroom materials. Eligible recipients are certified teachers, media specialists, reading intervention teachers, or other literacy support personnel employed by public school districts or charter schools who teach reading skills to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The administrator will notify eligible recipients of funding, review applications, and prioritize awards to students in kindergarten through third grade in schools with high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, followed by other groups of students in descending order of need. Awards will be for up to $500 per cycle for books and materials aligned with the science of reading, and the administrator will also seek additional donations and report on grant distribution. The bill also appropriates $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the Kentucky Department of Education for the program's implementation, with these funds carrying forward and not lapsing.