FOR RELEASE: July 18, 2008

Contact: Stephanie Babyak or Jane Glickman (202) 401-1576

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced the award of $18,258,896 to enhance libraries in 59 low-income school districts across the United States. The grants aim to help students improve reading achievement by increasing their access to up-to-date and technologically advanced school library materials.

"Reading is the foundation for all other learning, and the key ingredient for keeping students engaged and focused," Spellings said. "These grants will help school libraries keep up with the rising demands of our information age, so that they, in turn, can help students develop the critical thinking and information retrieval skills needed for success in today's world."

The Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program is designed to help schools meet the reading and other literacy challenges of their students. Funds can be used to acquire books and other library holdings; improve schools' technological resources and capabilities; facilitate Internet links and other resource-sharing networks; provide professional development for library personnel; enhance opportunities for collaboration among library specialists, teachers, and administrators; and expand hours of access to library services.

For more information about the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program, visit: www.ed.gov/programs/lsl.

Following is a list of the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant recipients:

ALASKA

Klawock City Schools
Richard Carlson
Box 9
Klawock, AK 99925
(907) 755-2320

ARKANSAS

Augusta School District
Sandi Jones
320 Sycamore Street
Augusta, AR 72006
(870) 347-2515

ARIZONA

Arizona Dept. of Juvenile Corrections
Dr. Richard J. Sagar
1624 W. Adams
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 364-3956

CALIFORNIA

Bakersfield City School District
Sandra Yoon
1300 Baker Street
Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 631-4808

Environmental Charter High School
Alison Suffet Diaz
16315 Grevillea Avenue
Lawndale, CA 90260
(310) 214-3400

Kings Canyon Unified School District
Carol Doerksen
675 W. Manning Avenue
Riedley, CA 93654
(559) 626-5910

Lynwood Unified School District
Chidiebere Onyia
11321 Bullis Road
Lynwood, CA 90262
(310) 886-1439

Modesto City Elementary District
Carol Ligon
426 Locust Street
Modesto, CA 95351-2699
(209) 576-4933

COLORADO

School District 1, City and County of Denver
Jody Gehrig
900 Grant Street
Denver, CO 80203-2907
(720) 423-8101

FLORIDA

School District of Columbia County
Wanda Conner
372 W. Duval St
Lake City, FL 32055-3990
(386) 755-8048

ILLINOIS

Chicago Public Schools, District #299
Paul K. Whitsitt
1326 West 14th Place
Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 553-6215

East St. Louis School District 189
Willard Mitchom
1005 State Street
East St. Louis, IL 62201
(618) 646-3002

IOWA

Central Decatur Community School District Becky Andrews
1201 NE Poplar St.
Leon, IA 50144
(641) 446-4816

KENTUCKY

Frankfort Independent School District
Dianne Cobb
506 West Second Street, Suite 2
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 875-8661

Hart County Schools
Wesley Waddle
511 West Union Street
Munfordville, KY 42765
(270) 524-2631

LOUISIANA

Caldwell Parish School District
Robin Nelson
219 Main Street
Columbia, LA 71418
(318) 649-2689

Sabine Parish School Board
Eddie Jones Jr.
695 Peterson St.
Many, LA 71449
(318) 586-3681

St. James Parish School Board
Pamela Bourgeois
1876 West Main Street
Lutcher, LA 70071
(225) 869-5375

Webster Parish School Board
Judy Noles
1442 Sheppard Street
Minden, LA 71055
(318) 377-7052

MAINE

Maine School Administrative District No. 46
Ann Crane Jordan
10 Spring Street Dexter, ME 04930
(207) 924-5262

MSAD 48
Susan Russell
P.O. Box 40
Newport, ME 04953
(207) 368-5091

Woodland School Department
Paul Swanson
844 Woodland Center Road
Woodland, ME 04736
(207) 496-2981

MASSACHUSETTS

Springfield Public Schools
Judy Alexander
195 State Street
Springfield, MA 01103-1704
(413) 787-7133

Worcester Public Schools
Joan M. Fitton
20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
(508) 799-3110

MICHIGAN

Public Schools of the City of Muskegon
Linda Riepma
349 W. Webster Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49440
(231) 720-2039

MISSOURI

Lakeland R-III School District
Laberta Culver
12530 Lakeland School Drive
Deepwater, MO 64740-8138
(417) 644-2223

NEW MEXICO

Corona Public Schools
Linda Greer
P. O. Box 258, 250 Franklin Avenue
Corona, NM 88318-0258
(575) 849-1911

Tularosa Municipal Schools
Steven Kiley
504 1st Street
Tularosa, NM 88352-2702
(505) 585-8800

NEW YORK

Belfast Central School District
Judith May
One King Street
Belfast, NY 14711
(585) 365-9940

Binghamton City School District
Trina Newton
164 Hawley Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
(607) 762-8100 ext. 220

Mount Pleasant Cottage School Union Free School District
Liz Gallo
1075 Broadway, PO Box 8
Pleasantville, NY 10570
(914) 769-0456

Utica City School District
Carla Percia
1115 Mohawk Street
Utica, NY 13323
(315) 792-2215

OKLAHOMA

Agra Public Schools
Wes McFarland
P.O. Box 279
Coweta, OK 74824
(918) 375-2261

Albion School District 2
Eugenia Coffey
Highway 271 South, P.O. Box 100
Albion, OK 74521
(918) 563-4331

Atoka Public Schools
Dawn Loftis
1003 W. 11th
Atoka, OK 73096
(580) 889-5640

Briggs Public School
Alicia O'Donnell
17210 S. 569 Road
Tahlequah, OK 74464
(918) 456-4221 ext 108

Checotah Public Schools
Denise Donathan
310 SW 2nd Street
Checotah, OK 74426
918-473-5610

Chickasha Independent School District
Cathy Simer
900 W. Choctaw
Chickasha, OK 73018
(405) 222-6524

Gage Public Schools
Doug Taylor
202 West Highway 15, PO Box 60
Gage, OK 73843
(580) 923-7666

Hugo Public Schools
Karen Lyles
208 N 2nd St.
Hugo, OK 74743
(580) 326-6483

Mill Creek School District
Lorinda Chancellor
PO Box 118
Mill Creek, OK 74856
(580) 384-5514

Muskogee Public Schools
Derryl Venters
202 West Broadway
Muskogee, OK 74401
(918) 684-3700

Quapaw Elementary School
Sharla Heltzel
305 West 1st Street
Quapaw, OK 74363
(918) 674-2501

Shady Point Public Schools
Marie Akins
22838 Wheelus
Shady Point, OK 74956
(918) 963-2595

Tulsa Co. Ind. School District No. 1
Roberta Ellis
3027 S. New Haven
Tulsa, OK 74114-6131
(918) 746-6523

OREGON

School District No. 1J, Multnomah County
Edith Fuller
P.O. Box 3107
Portland, OR 97208-3107
(503) 916-3406

PENNSYLVANIA

Harrisburg School District
Debra K. Ferguson
2101 N. Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 703-4167

School District of Pittsburgh
Samuel Jackendoff
341 S. Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 338-8070

Scranton School District
Nancy Hlavaty
425 North Washington Ave.
Scranton, PA 18503
(570) 348-3432

TENNESSEE

Memphis City Schools
Margaret Montgomery
2597 Avery
Memphis, TN 38112
(901) 416-5382

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Susan Whitworth
2601 Bransford Avenue
Nashville, TN 37204-2811
(615) 259-8412

TEXAS

Bloomington Independent School District
Brad Williams
P.O. BOX 158
Bloomington, TX 77951
(361) 897-1652

Education Service Center, Region 2
Kim Picozzi
209 N. Water Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
(361) 561-8670

Fort Worth Independent School District
Tracy Marshall
100 N. University Drive, Ste. SW204
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 871-2452

Navasota ISD
Dr. Dawn Marie Zak Baletka
705 E. Washington
Navasota, TX 77868
(936) 825-1112

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District
Nora Galvan
P.O. Box 769
Pharr, TX 78577-1615
(956) 702-5991

South San Antonio Independent School District
Blanca Gonzalez
2515 Bobcat Lane
San Antonio, TX 78224
(210) 623-1875

WASHINGTON

Clarkston School District #J250-185
Asotin County
Eric Price
1294 Chestnut
Clarkston, WA 99403
(509) 758-2531

WYOMING

Fremont County School District 14
Leslie Voxland
638 Blue Sky Highway
Ethete, WY 82520-9366
(307) 332-9765

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