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Santa Barbara, CA, August 6, 2025 – The Santa Barbara Foundation has officially become the fiscal sponsor for the Santa Barbara Reading Coalition, marking a significant step in advocating for improved literacy outcomes for all public school children in Santa Barbara County.
The coalition is dedicated to helping achieve 90%+ grade level reading proficiency in Santa Barbara County through the Science of Reading. Today, less than 50% of public school kids can read at grade level by end of 3rd grade and rarely catch up.
The Reading Coalition meets regularly with members of the SBUSD school board, educational community groups, business leaders, political figures, teachers, and union leaders. Coalition members attend and speak out at school board meetings, as well as attending and staging local events throughout town.
The group also documents proven strategies and best practices in districts that have successfully transitioned to the Science of Reading: https://sbreads.org
Through its new relationship with the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Santa Barbara Reading Coalition will have access to vital nonprofit infrastructure, allowing it to receive tax-deductible donations, pursue grants, and scale its community impact with transparency and credibility.
“This fiscal sponsorship by the Santa Barbara Foundation is a huge honor,” said Andrew Salzman, Executive Director of the Coalition. “Working with the Foundation, we want to see Santa Barbara become the highest performing school district in the state. Our kids need strong reading skills to realize every chance for school and life success.”
Coalition chairman Steve Epstein added, “Teaching kids to read using instruction methods and practices tied to the Science of Reading has proven to be a successful strategy in similar communities across the US. With the support of the Santa Barbara Foundation, we are better able to highlight those school districts that have successfully moved the needle on literacy and replicate those successes here.”
The Santa Barbara Foundation, long known for championing projects that uplift community well-being and resilience, recognized the Santa Barbara Reading Coalition’s potential to foster much needed literacy improvements for the many children that are being failed by inadequate reading instruction efforts.
“We are a proud sponsor of key community-led opportunities and priorities, like the Santa Barbara Reading Coalition, through our fiscal sponsorship program,” said Tammy Sims Johnson, who serves as Vice President of Philanthropic Services. “One of our strategic goals is to create community impact by supporting community-led initiatives and the Reading Coalition’s work to promote literacy aligns with our priorities.”
The Santa Barbara Reading Coalition will launch a series of informative public events throughout the year. The first event will take place at the Central Library’s Faulkner Gallery on October 18th from 2-4 p.m. featuring Todd Collins from the California Reading Coalition and Congressman Salud Carbajal.
Each event will champion instruction based on the science of reading, featuring speakers who have adopted proven strategies and best practices in districts demographically similar to ours. Attendees can expect an inclusive environment where every voice is valued.
To inquire about supporting the Santa Barbara Reading Coalition with a donation, visit sbreads.org. For more information on the Santa Barbara Foundation and its community partnerships, visit SBFoundation.org.
