PASCRELL SUPPORTS FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CHILDREN’S SCHOOL BOOKS

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) a former teacher and leader on educational issues in Congress visited three schools in Paterson, West Paterson and Hawthorne to celebrate the Department of Education’s ninth annual Read Across America Day.  The goal of Read Across America Day, which falls on Dr. Seuss’s 103rd birthday, is to show America's children the joy of reading-on March 2 and every day.

Rep. Pascrell is a strong supporter of federally funding children’s literacy programs in Congress.  Last year, Pascrell helped the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program secure $25 million in federal funding to provide over 16 million new books free of charge to nearly 4.5 million of the nation’s most underserved children.

The Inexpensive Book Distribution Program provided 78,026 New Jersey children with 290,324 books last year.  Paterson public schools alone were awarded 36,000 books for approximately 10,000 young students.  In West Paterson, the Charles Olbon School was awarded 1,089 books for about 330 children and the Beatrice Gilmore School was awarded 759 books for 230 children.

Rep. Pascrell is part of a Congressional effort to fund the program with another $25 million this year, which would help ensure that more of America’s most underserved children have access to books.

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