The state will no longer be able to send all Missouri children free books through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. The program set up by the famous country artist mails age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5.
Missouri lawmakers cut the Imagination Library's budget for the upcoming fiscal year by more than half, from about $6 million to $2 million.
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said it won't have the money to enroll new children in the program after next month. The department said kids who are enrolled now will continue to receive books as funding allows.
Education department officials said they could potentially partner with local programs or private donors to revive the Imagination Library.
When Missouri joined the program in 2023, then-Gov. Mike Parson and first lady Teresa Parson said they were proud to bring the resources to the state's children.
"The education of Missouri children is near and dear to us, and we know learning starts early. Even simple access to quality books at a young age can make a transformational difference in the life of a child as they grow older and seek to achieve their own American Dream," they said in a statement.
Missouri was the first state to fully fund the program.
Since the program started, the education department said the state has donated more than 4.3 million books. As of March, more than 169,000 kids in Missouri were signed up to receive them.
St. Louis, St. Charles and Jackson counties had the highest number of kids enrolled in the program, though several rural counties have higher percentages of children enrolled.
The entertainer originally set up the program to serve kids in Sevier County, Tennessee — where she grew up.
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