- B90 -

Literacy Problems Affect A Great Number of Children Both Nationally And In Our Own Community 55 of Fourth Grade Students In Florida Are Not Proficient In Reading 55 of Grade 3 Students In Manatee County And 29 of Students In Sarasota County Are Not Proficient In Reading In Middle Income Neighborhoods the ratio of books to children is 12 books for every child In Low Income Neighborhoods the ratio of books to children is one book for 300 children 13 of All 17 Year Olds Are Functionally Illiterate 1. 1 Million Students Drop Out of School Each Year Costing This Country 250 Billion The U. S. Department of Labor Estimates That Literacy Problems Cost U.