BILLINGS - It's back-to-school week for Billings Public Schools, and when it comes to the summer slide you don’t have to get too far away from a school zone to see this community backs the books. And you don’t need to be a detective like Nancy Drew to know just how much.
But it is helpful to keep your eyes open for clues, like little free libraries located just steps away from many Billings elementary schools like Poly Drive Elementary.
Following the clues, combined with a little math will show you Billings has 50 free little libraries. They resemble a giant birdhouse filled with free books.
True super sleuths know it's important to follow your nose and never stop asking questions for a deeper understanding on any topic.
An important question for Montana families is: "How do you feel about literacy? Is it important to your family?"
Billings couple Kaylee and Ethan Kanning have four kids ranging from a second grader to a junior in high school in Billings and their answer is clear.
“I think it is very important to our family that our kids read and engage in reading anything they possibly can,” says Kaylee. “We've had a lot of really good discussions about books. I don't think books can really harm you. Ethan’s mother Kerri Kanning, she passed away in 2015, but she was just an avid reader and she always said readers are leaders.”
Ethan says: ”What I see in the workforce is no matter what kind of skill set you have, we are all communicating whether through writing or reading, so I think giving them that foundation early is important for their whole lives.”
A foundation Billings Public Schools Superintendent Erwin Garcia is trying to build stronger, starting at the city’s elementary schools.
“There's a lot of positive things on these test scores,” said Garcia. “We saw tremendous growth in reading and math at the elementary levels, to the point where we have schools that had double digit winnings from fall to winter. Let me give you some examples. Eagle Cliff 12%, Poly Drive 11%.”
If you give a child a book, it doesn’t hurt either. Just look at the test scores at two Billings schools our KTVQ news station has helped via the Scripps Howard Fund Campaign and is helping this year as well, coupled with critical viewer donations to give every child a book.
Broadwater Elementary is 6% up, while Ponderosa is up 5%, and overall reading proficiency stands at 54% up most recently from 52%.
“We're slightly higher than we were pre-COVID era, so yes, anyone who sees these data points can say great for the growth. But 52% is not good enough, and they're absolutely right,” says a superintendent determined to lead this district closer to 100% proficiency.
For a full look at the data, you can visit the Billings Public Schools website and browse through the two most recent summer 2024 board reports.
