Ethel Boyes Elementary (Post Falls) - Bucks for Books

This Donation will buy a book for Ethel Boyes Elementary in Post Falls. Their Librarian says "Ethel Boyes's 530 students have access to only 640 Easy Reader library books. Of those 640 books 442 of those books were purchased before 2015. These books are often outdated, no longer relevant or in bad repair. Ethel Boyes has a limited budget and because of this we were only able to add 9 Easy Readers to our collection last year. Our most popular Easy Readers are checked out so often they are falling apart within a few months. We have a significant low income population. Also, 15% of our students are English Language Learners. Our most at risk students often do not have access to new books or to the public library. We do not have a PTO this year to do fundraising to buy library books, so the need for monies to buy books is greater than ever. With the money from this grant I will be able to buy updated and engaging Easy Reader books for Ethel Boyes students to read at home and at school."

In 2019, the Idaho Lottery learned 28 percent of Idaho elementary schools had a library budget of less than $100 per year for book procurement. In reality, it would take nearly $8,000 every year per school to maintain the library collection students need to succeed. With that in mind, the Idaho Lottery worked with the Idaho Commission for Libraries to start Bucks For Books. Literacy has been a focus of Idaho Governor Brad Little since he took office in 2019. Getting all Idaho students reading at grade level by the third grade is imperative as that is the point where students transition from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn. Having a well-stocked library and the ability for all students to take books home is crucial in getting all Idaho students where they need to be.