About Us

St. Lucie Reads is a public campaign to ensure that students are reading at grade level by 3rd grade. Through partnerships with local businesses and organizations, we are working together as a community to support the efforts of: school readiness, summer learning and school attendance. Learn more about how you can get involved and help make a difference in our community.

You, as a member of our community, need to care deeply about third-grade reading - even if you’ve already raised your children, never had children or know that your children can read just fine.

Here’s why:

• Children who can’t read on grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to not graduate high school.
• Research shows that proficiency in reading by the end of third grade enables students to shift from learning to read to reading to learn, and to master the more complex subject matter they encounter in the fourth-grade curriculum. Most students who fail to reach this critical milestone falter in the later grades and often drop out before earning a high school diploma. Yet two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders are not proficient readers, according to national reading assessment data. This disturbing statistic is made even worse by the fact that more than four out of every five low-income students miss this critical milestone. 
• The ability to read and write is central to our daily lives. Early literacy refers to the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills that are crucial for building the foundation of literacy success in later years.
• 74% of students who fail to read proficiently by the end of third grade falter in the later grades and often drop out before earning a high school diploma.
• Every student who doesn’t graduate high school costs society an estimated $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes and productivity.
• Studies show children who don’t graduate high school earn 40% less annually than peers who do graduate, and at least a whopping 100% less annually than those who earn a bachelor’s degree. Click here for the report.

This greatly affects our community’s tax base and its social stability, not to mention its ability to lure high-paying employers looking for highly skilled workers.

So what would St. Lucie County look like without a strong workforce and stable families? Would there be more crime? What about the safety of our infrastructure? Would we have fewer parks, libraries and community centers?

"Third-grade reading success matters to all of us because it directly impacts our quality of life. Our community partners are working together to ensure that the students and families in our community are equipped with the best possible opportunities for success." -Sean Boyle, Executive Director, Children's Services Council of St. Lucie County