State elementary school reading program unfunded for first time in 13 years

Jim Vercelli, a grant writer for East Central University, won a contract with the state 13 years ago to provide professional development to roughly 3,000 teachers a year. He's won the competitive bid process ever since.

About 28,000 teachers have gone through Literacy First training, and roughly 120 schools have gone through a three-year program to become model schools for the teaching method.

This fiscal year, $3 million in state funding won't be available to help pay for teachers and schools to participate in the program.

“It will be very detrimental,” Vercelli said. “Literacy First is ingrained into the state.”

Literacy First is a Washington-based for-profit company that works in 10 states.

Vercelli said he selected Literacy First as a subcontractor for the grant because of their outstanding track record in 1998, and he said their performance has continued to support their methods.

The program's funding is part of the Reading Sufficiency Act, a 1997 law aimed at promoting literacy among grade-school children. Today the Reading Sufficiency funding is changing.

State schools Superintendent Janet Barresi said her budget freed up $6 million in funds, including the $3 million from Reading Sufficiency, that will now be passed directly onto districts.

Barresi said she is developing a teacher training program that will allow district administration to choose from a variety of options what is best for their students.