A beloved Jacksonville literacy nonprofit that’s helped thousands of local students learn to read is at risk of scaling back dramatically and losing more critical funding.
READ USA, a cornerstone in Duval County’s fight to boost literacy and reduce crime, said it’s lost two major AmeriCorps grants, putting its future programming and hundreds of students in jeopardy.
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The nonprofit, which hires and pays teen tutors to help elementary students read, now faces a shortfall of more than $500,000 for the upcoming school year.
“We found out a couple weeks ago we lost both of our AmeriCorps grants,” Dr. Rob Kelly, President and CEO of READ USA, said. “If something doesn’t change, we’ll lose over half a million dollars this year.”
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READ USA said the funding loss could force them to cut their program by a third, impacting 270 students and as many as 100 teen tutors.
That would leave hundreds of kids without one-on-one literacy support, something Jacksonville city leaders have also pointed to as a crime prevention tool.
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“We’re not just keeping teens off the streets now,” Kelly said. “We’re helping younger kids improve literacy, which we know lowers the risk of interaction with the criminal justice system later in life.”
READ USA served more than 1,100 Duval County Public Schools students last year. Many of the tutors come from the same neighborhoods as the kids they help—creating a cycle of mentorship, job training, and community uplift.
The organization is receiving some temporary relief: a $30,000 boost from Jax Journey and funding from the Kids Hope Alliance will allow it to continue services at select schools.
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But without new grants or donations, READ USA warns that more than 300 children across several elementary schools could lose access to tutoring.
“We are so thankful for Kids Hope Alliance funding,” Kelly said. “But if the cuts remain, it will cause us to reduce or eliminate services for over 300 kids.”
READ USA is now applying for new grants and turning to the community for urgent support.
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