TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the 2026 Suncoast Summer Reading Challenge Letter of Agreement Between the Patterson Foundation and City of North Port.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the 2026 Suncoast Summer Reading Challenge Letter of Agreement between the Patterson Foundation and City of North Port.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the 2026 Suncoast Summer Reading Challenge Letter of Agreement between the Patterson Foundation and City of North Port.
* Pros:
o Supports the City's continued participation in a well-established free summer literacy initiative benefiting local youth.
o Provides a structured program that includes staff training, weekly learning activities, reading incentives and family engagement components.
o Offers up to $4,500 in reimbursement to enhance and support summer camp programming.
* Cons:
o Requires staff time to meet program administration, training, implementation and reporting requirements.
o Program structure may limit some flexibility in scheduling and planning.
Option 2: Deny the 2026 Suncoast Summer Reading Challenge Letter of Agreement between the Patterson Foundation and City of North Port.
* Pros:
o Reduces administrative and reporting responsibilities allowing full flexibility for summer camp scheduling and planning.
o Eliminates obligations related to weekly reporting, training and coordination with external partners.
* Cons:
o City forfeits up to $4,500 in potential reimbursement for program enhancements.
o Campers would lose the opportunity to participate in a literacy initiative aimed at preventing summer reading decline.
Background Information
The Suncoast Summer Reading Challenge (SSRC) is a community-wide literacy initiative encouraging summer reading and reducing summer learning loss. The program supports the Suncoast Campaign for grade-level reading and provides a community benefit by promo...
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