“The Big Plan” Targets Literacy Crisis in Manatee County Elementary Schools
A bold education initiative known as The Big Plan is making significant strides in Manatee County. It aims to ensure that all children, especially those from ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families, are reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
Led by United Way Suncoast as part of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, The Big Plan brings together key community partners, including the Manatee Community Foundation, The Patterson Foundation, the School District of Manatee County, the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, and Manatee County Government. The collaborative effort invests in early learning, literacy, and family support programs concentrated within the most challenged school attendance zones.
The program’s foundation begins at birth, helping young children enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive. The Big Plan provides high-quality childcare, educational summer camps, home literacy kits, tutoring, after-school support, parent-child learning events, food distributions, and tax assistance for financial stability.
In the 2017-2018 school year, 75% of third-grade students—742 out of 989—at ten Title I Manatee County elementary schools were not reading at grade level. The Big Plan is focused on halving that number by 2026.
The district identified the ten Schools as consistently underperforming. The schools now benefit from targeted support. Each receives a Principal’s Fund—$1,000 per year for active Big Plan schools and $500 for others—to address educational barriers and staff development.
In the 2023-2024 school year, United Way Suncoast allocated $264,400 to fund eight paraprofessionals in first-grade classrooms across eight schools, who offer direct support to struggling students.
By leveraging the #PowerofPartnership, The Big Plan seeks to transform outcomes for hundreds of children and families across Manatee County, proving that community collaboration is key to long-term educational success.
