Lakevue Elementary (Nampa) - Bucks for Books

This Donation will buy a book for Lakevue Elementary School in Nampa. Their Librarian says "One obstacle is the lack of access to quality reading materials. The average age of the books in our library is 17 years old. It is my goal to provide as extensive and up-to-date of a library as I can. Funds from this grant program would go a long way to purchasing a diverse range of books, including those that reflect the students' interests and backgrounds.
Another obstacle that I see is for our students with learning disabilities or difficulties. Many of our students struggle with dyslexia or other reading-related challenges. We currently do not have any audio books in our library, but I would love to add some as I feel they can be a great resource. I would also love to add some electronic readers that the students can use to follow along as a story is read aloud. I have several students this year who love to listen to stories but cannot read to themselves. Adding these resources can provide tailored support to those students, helping them build essential reading skills and will also help to boost their confidence.
Language barriers also pose a significant obstacle for some of our students. Many of our ESL learners come to me looking for books in Spanish. We have a very small section of Spanish books, and I would love to be able to add to it and also add more dual language books that help teach English simultaneously. With additional funding from this grant, as well as support from myself, our staff members and even the parents at Lakevue, our students can receive the assistance they need to develop strong reading skills, setting them on a path to academic success and a lifelong love of reading."

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.