2024-25 Bucks for Books Grant Award Impacts All 3rd-5th Graders in Lexington District One Elementary Schools

MEDIA CONTACT

Julie Anderson Washburn, Lexington One Educational Foundation Executive Director PH: 803-821-1008

NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2025:  The Lexington County School District One Educational Foundation Board of Directors awarded a $25,800 Bucks for Books Grant to Lexington County School District One this school year. This grant will strengthen and support literacy efforts in all 18 elementary schools in the district.

The Bucks for Books Grant funds specifically enabled all third through fifth grade teachers in Lexington District One to purchase $100 worth of social studies and science books to develop and grow their classroom libraries.  A wide range of texts in each classroom allows students to read independently and transfer concepts.

In addition, this Lexington One Educational Foundation Bucks for Books Grant will enhance the new English Language Arts standards that went into effect this school year. Teachers rely on a wide variety of texts, including disciplinary texts for science and social studies, in order to meet these standards.

All of the district’s elementary literacy coaches, as well as third through fifth grade teachers, were so pleased to receive this important funding to support student literacy. A number of them shared their thanks for these important grants:

• Oak Grove Elementary School’s Literacy Coach Mary Whisnant: “Thank you for the Educational Foundation’s continued to support of classroom libraries!  Informational texts are always the more expensive books to purchase to complete their libraries. Our teachers and students are so very grateful and appreciative of all the texts we receive as a result of the Foundation’s generosity!”
• Midway Elementary School Teacher Katrinda Scott: “Thank you all so much for the books for our students! These books will be used to teach 5th grade social studies and science standards.”
• Pleasant Hill Elementary School Literacy Coach Jennifer Jones: “Thanks again for all you do for Bucks for Books. I continue to advocate for classroom library funds whenever I get a chance, and Educational Foundation grants mean so much to us each year!”

Educational Foundation Executive Director Julie Anderson Washburn stated, “Each year our Board of Directors assesses the needs in Lexington District One and strengthening the literacy skills of our students always rises to the top of the list. We are proud to share that this is our eighth year of offering Bucks for Books Grants and the foundation has invested close to $190,000 in our students via the purchase of books.  We extend heartfelt thanks to our Educational Foundation donors who make such important literacy grants possible!”

Learn more about all that the Lexington One Education Foundation and how to get involved as a donor by contacting foundation staff today!