The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (SCGLR) continues to strengthen opportunities for children and families across DeSoto County through initiatives that support school attendance, summer learning, and family engagement.
During the 2025–26 school year, Memorial Elementary School, Nocatee Elementary School, and West Elementary School all participated in SCGLR’s Attendance Awareness Poster Contest and the inaugural year of Motivating Improved Attendance (MIA). The MIA initiative encouraged schools to identify students who were beginning to show patterns of chronic absenteeism and reach out to their families early—before attendance challenges became entrenched. Through positive, supportive communication and intentional follow-up, the three schools reported a 35% reduction in the number of students who were on track to miss more than 10% of the school year, helping more children stay engaged in learning.
DeSoto County also played a significant role in the success of Suncoast Remake Learning Days, the free, family-friendly learning festival underwritten by The Patterson Foundation. For 15 days, the county hosted 71 hands-on learning events that welcomed 5,037 attendees, giving children and families opportunities to explore science, technology, the arts, outdoor learning, and more through joyful, engaging experiences.
The commitment to literacy extends beyond the school year through THIS BOOK IS COOL!, which engaged 163 DeSoto County children, and THIS BOOK IS COOL! in School, where seven classrooms and 144 students are participating in classroom-based literacy experiences.
Together, these initiatives reflect the strong partnerships and shared commitment throughout DeSoto County to help every child develop a love of learning and succeed in school and beyond.
