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Each Hills-Beaver Creek kindergartner through eighth-grader received $20 last week to buy a book to read this summer.
The H-BC School District applied for a state grant and allocated $4,500 to promote summer reading.
“Our expectations were exceeded by the responses we received from students,” said H-BC Superintendent Todd Holthaus.
“They were excited; they networked with one another. I believe we’ve assisted in creating some reading for this summer by our students.”
The $20 to each student coincided with the spring book fair that brings displays of new books into the schools’ libraries for sale.
K-12 media paraprofessional Lexi Moore organizes the twice-a-year book fairs in the elementary and middle school libraries.
“Very few students get to go to libraries over the summer,” she said. “Our goal is to get them started with books to read over the summer.”
The $20 given to each student meant every student purchased at least one book.
Moore organized a bargain table with books offered for $5 or less so students could purchase several books for $20.
Her promotion worked, as the bargain table quickly emptied.
Shelly Fischer is the district’s reading integration specialist.
“We are hoping these new books will encourage children to read over the summer,” she said. “And spark a new-found interest in different authors, subjects and genres.”