RCSD marks a major literacy achievement as Senator Cooney delivers new state funding to expand the Imagination Library

Rochester, New York – A quiet but powerful moment unfolded inside Flower City School No. 54 this week as the Rochester City School District (RCSD) marked a milestone that speaks to both perseverance and hope. Before a room of young students still discovering the wonder of books, State Senator Jeremy Cooney announced a major state investment in early literacy programs—one that RCSD leaders say will strengthen the community for years to come.

The visit highlighted a renewed surge of support for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a nationally recognized early childhood initiative that has already reshaped reading access in Rochester. Senator Cooney revealed that he has secured $1 million in the latest New York State budget to sustain Imagination Library programs across the state. Out of that allocation, the Rochester chapter will receive $49,000—funding that district leaders say will help ensure that children from birth to age five continue receiving free monthly books at a critical stage in their development.

Standing before a crowd of students, educators, and community members, Senator Cooney framed the work in simple terms that resonated with the young readers sitting on the floor near him. “We want to make sure you have access to literacy and the joy of reading,” he told the group. “All children deserve access to free and quality books.”

For RCSD, the announcement carried extra meaning because it came on a day when the district celebrated its 100,000th free book delivered through its local Imagination Library program. Superintendent Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, Senator Cooney, and Dr. Matt Present—the founder of the Rochester chapter—presented the milestone book to a Pre-K student at School No. 54, marking a symbolic reminder of how much the program has grown since its introduction.

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Dr. Rosser emphasized the long-term impact that early reading access has on student achievement. “Each book that will be delivered is more than just a story; it is an investment in building academic strength, which we all understand is the foundation for learning,” he said. “By increasing access to books, we are helping children develop literacy skills early, build a foundation for success in school, and experience the joy and wonder reading brings.”

His message echoed a broader conviction shared by educators nationwide: early literacy is one of the strongest predictors of future academic success. The Imagination Library has built its reputation around this idea since Dolly Parton founded the initiative in 1995. Designed to ensure that even the youngest children can build a home library, the program sends one free, age-appropriate book each month to enrolled kids, beginning at birth and ending on their fifth birthday.

What began as a small outreach effort in Parton’s hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, has transformed into the world’s largest childhood book-gifting program. Operating in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, the Imagination Library has distributed more than 200 million books globally. Today, over 2.9 million books are mailed to children every month, powered by collaboration between The Dollywood Foundation and local partners such as RCSD.

For Rochester families, the effort has already changed the rhythm of childhood reading. Many parents say the arrival of each month’s book has become a small celebration in itself, a moment that encourages bonding, curiosity, and familiarity with language long before children enter kindergarten classrooms.

With the recent budget win, Senator Cooney also announced his intention to build on this progress. He is launching a push to secure an additional $7 million in next year’s state budget to expand Imagination Library’s reach even further across New York State. If successful, the expanded funding could make the program accessible to more communities, particularly those where book access remains uneven.

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The Rochester City School District encourages families with eligible children to enroll, noting that participation is free and simple. Information about registration is available at www.rochesterimaginationlibrary.org, where caregivers can sign up and learn more about how the program operates locally.

As the event wrapped up, students continued examining the pages of their own books, trading titles with classmates and pointing out illustrations with the kind of excitement that makes the entire initiative feel worthwhile. The milestone celebrated at School No. 54 served not only as a marker of achievement but also as a reminder of what steady investment, community leadership, and a shared belief in literacy can achieve.

In the words of Superintendent Rosser, the effort remains both practical and profound: each book is a tool for learning—but also an invitation to wonder.