Purpose

• The bill would provide a one-time general fund appropriation to support Rally to Read through the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Its goal is to improve Minnesota’s early literacy by supporting statewide community efforts that focus on young children, especially before they start school, with the aim of achieving high reading proficiency and reducing inequities.

Main Provisions

• Grant amount: $250,000 to Minnesotas Rally to Read (from the general fund).
• Scope: Use the grant to support community reading coalitions across Minnesota that work toward making Minnesota the state with the highest reading proficiency scores and the fewest inequities.
• Focus on early brain development: Emphasizes optimizing every child’s brain development during prenatal to age three.
• Eligible activities: Staffing to coordinate statewide implementation; coalition facilitation; meeting expenses; data tracking; benchmark dashboard; monitoring and evaluation.
• Targeted strategy: Implement a strategy that prioritizes delivering literacy resources to the children who need it most.
• Program alignment: Coalitions must build on existing programs with a proven track record of delivering results to ensure children are prepared to read by age three and read proficiently at every grade level.
• Private funding match: Each dollar of the grant must be matched with private money.
• One-time nature and deadline: This is a one-time appropriation, available until June 30, 2028.

Funding Details

• Source: General Fund (Department of Children, Youth, and Families).
• Availability: A designated fiscal year; the funds are available until June 30, 2028.
• Matching requirement: Private funds must be provided for every dollar of state money.

Administration and Oversight

• The Department of Children, Youth, and Families administers the grant.
• The bill calls for activities such as data tracking, a benchmark dashboard, and monitoring and evaluation to assess progress and outcomes.
• Emphasizes building on existing, proven programs and coordinating statewide efforts through community coalitions.

Significance and Changes to Law

• Creates a targeted, one-time appropriation to fund Rally to Read and its coalitions, with requirements for private matches and outcomes focused on early literacy and equity.
• Does not establish a new ongoing program or modify other statutes beyond authorizing this specific funding and its conditions.

Practical Takeaway

• If enacted, Minnesota would allocate $250,000 to Rally to Read with private matching funds to support early literacy coalitions across the state, aiming to improve reading proficiency, reduce equity gaps, and support brain development from prenatal stages through age three, with progress tracked and evaluated through specified metrics.

Relevant Terms - Rally to Read - Department of Children, Youth, and Families - Minnesota - reading proficiency scores - inequities - brain development - prenatal to age three - community reading coalitions - staffing - statewide implementation - data tracking - benchmark dashboard - monitoring and evaluation - targeted strategy - children who need it most - proven programs - private funding match - one-time appropriation - general fund - June 30, 2028