Jackson County Schools win Georgia Reads community award; $20,000 to support early‑literacy work

Jackson County Superintendent Philip Brown announced on March 5 that the district received the Georgia Reads Community Award, which includes a $20,000 grant to support sustained community partnerships aimed at improving early literacy. "This is really everybody's award," Brown said, adding the prize recognizes "sustained partnerships within your community for 3 or more years that are advancing literacy outcomes."

Brown said the district plans to allocate about $8,500 of the award to the First Readers program, which sends books to children birth through 5 each month. "About $8,500 of the grant funds will go directly to continuing to invest in the First Reader partnership," he said. Additional funding will support early‑literacy caregiver workshops, efforts to increase pre‑K enrollment and summer reading initiatives in partnership with public libraries.

Brown highlighted district partners and outreach included in the award application and thanked staff members who prepared the submission. He also noted Malcolm Mitchell, the Georgia Reads coach, will visit Heroes Elementary next Wednesday to lead a reading rally and give students his book "Hey Georgia."

The district and Brown framed the award as both recognition of work already completed and a source of modest funding to continue program expansion; Brown described the grant as "more an award of the accomplishments already and then funding to continue that work."

Next steps described to the board included using the grant to deepen existing partnerships, purchase materials for caregiver workshops and sustain the First Readers delivery project. The board was asked to note the programs and supports as ongoing district priorities.