Published May 3, 2017 at 9:26 a.m. 

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Kingsport City Schools (KCS) has received a 2017 Read to be Ready Summer Grant, awarding approximately $50,000 (actual amount has not been determined) to fund an innovative educational camp to target rising first, second, and third graders from KCS Title I schools. 

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced that more than 11,000 students in 107 communities across the state will benefit from the 2017 Read to be Ready Summer Grant Program. In total, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) is awarding more than $8.5 million to 212 grant recipients throughout Tennessee; Kingsport City Schools being one of those recipients.  

The TDOE and Human Services, with support from First Lady Crissy Haslam, have partnered to expand the Read to Be Ready Summer Grant Program through an investment of $30 million over the next three years. “Summer reading loss can have a significant impact on the academic progress made by our students during the school year,” First Lady Haslam said. “These Read to Be Ready summer programs are an innovative and strategic approach to combating that summer slide and improving reading proficiency across the state.”

Read to be Ready is a coordinated campaign and approach to increase third grade reading proficiency in Tennessee to 75 percent by 2025 through a variety of initiatives. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of reading, unite efforts to address low reading achievement, highlight best practices, and build partnerships.

KCS will hold the summer program from June 5–29 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Monday through Friday at Lincoln Elementary School. Snacks and lunch will be provided. In total, 60 KCS students will be invited to participate in the program which will have a 1:5 teacher/student radio. Highlights of the program will include field trips, guest speakers and working in conjunction with the United Way of Greater Kingsport’s United We Read program and Wellmont Health System.

“To reach our goals as a state, we know that our struggling readers need support beyond strong, daily classroom instruction for 180 days of the year,” McQueen said. “Read to be Ready summer programs help communities ensure our youngest learners are getting the targeted support they need year-round. Above all, we want students to develop the skills and abilities that will grow their motivation and confidence to become life-long readers and thinkers.”

For more information on the KCS Read to be Ready summer grant program, contact program directors Jaclyn Clendenen at [email protected] or Debbie Allen at [email protected].

For the complete list of 2017 Read to be Ready summer grant recipients visit the TDOE website. For more information on Read to be Ready and the summer grant program, contact Paige Atchley, Read to be Ready program director, at [email protected].

Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, a high school program of choice and an alternative learning program; with total enrollment over 7,500 students. The vision of Kingsport City Schools is to be, Student Focused … World Class.

KCS has been named the top school district in Tennessee as winner of the 2014 SCORE Prize District Award by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) and has earned the 2014 Achievement Award in the annual Excellence in Tennessee Recognition Program by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE).

For more information on KCS, visit k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, read our blog, We Are KCS, or call (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (Kingsport City Schools), Twitter (@KCS_District) and check out our YouTube Channel (KPTSchools).

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