DATE: December 3, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Library & Cultural Arts Department
TITLE: ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY TO CONTINUE LITERACY SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council accept $172,439 in grant funds from California State Library, awarded to the City for continuing literacy services provided to adults and families of adults, and appropriate these funds to the Library & Cultural Arts Department.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Since the inception of the Library's Literacy Program in 1997, the Oceanside Public Library has received grant funding from California Library Literacy Services for support of Oceanside READS, a program which teaches literacy skills to adults. Currently, Oceanside READS is also funded by City and Library support and private donations.
In June 2018, the California legislature approved added funds to help programs provide more consistent support to the families of adults with low literacy skills, and in December 2021, additional funding opportunities became available to support English as a Second Language (ESL) services for five years. This is the final year of designated funding for ESL Services. The State has continued funding Adult Literacy Services (ALS) annually and added opportunities for both Family Literacy (FLS) and ESL Services funds and the Oceanside Public Library has successfully applied and received grant awards for these services, as each opportunity arose. In early 2025, the Library again applied for ALS, FLS and ESL funding, and has been awarded the total of $172,439 for fiscal year 2025-26, though this is a reduction from the previous year of $173,997. Additionally, this next fiscal year, the Library will need to find a new funding source for providing ongoing ESL Services.
ALS, FLS and ESL grant funds have been designated for staffing expenses that include the continuation of funding for one provisional part-time benefited Libr...
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