Gov. Blunt read to students from books donated by Gumdrop Books

As part of his Show-Me Solutions initiative, Gov. Matt Blunt today visited Scuola Vita Nuova, a Kansas City Charter School, to highlight a Missouri company that is helping our students through a generous donation of school books. Gov. Blunt was joined by Mike Fitzgerald of Gumdrop Books, a Bethany, Missouri company as they committed to donate 700 sets of books to the Charter School Association and the Kansas City public schools. During the stop Gov. Blunt read The Mitten to 20 first grade students.

"Reading is the foundation of education and opens the door to learning and success in school and life," Gov. Blunt said. "I created the Show-Me Solutions to highlight the generosity of groups like Gumdrop Books who stand as an example of a good corporate citizen reaching out to assist Missouri’s students."

Gumdrop Books will donate 16,800 books, 700 sets of 24 books, to the Missouri Charter School Association and the Kansas City Public Schools. Gumdrop Books has been a publisher and distributor of educational books for more than 30 years. The books they are donating are phonics books geared toward early readers. Among the many successful paths to reading, phonics has proven an effective course for many students.

Education is Gov. Blunt's highest budget and policy priority, and he has increased funding for education every year he has been in office. If the General Assembly approves his budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2009, Gov. Blunt will have delivered an increase of $1.2 billion since January 2005, ensuring that Missouri teachers and students have the resources they need to succeed.

The governor's new funding for elementary and secondary education includes funding for Parents as Teachers; for eMINTS to support 400 technology-focused classrooms across the state; for Missouri's virtual schools program; to support access and encourage students to take AP classes; and for high quality math, science and health related after school programs. The governor's FY 09 budget includes a record $377 million for early learning and care opportunities for Missouri children.

Gov. Blunt's support for higher education quadruples funding available for Access Missouri scholarships, includes funding to support education opportunities for health professionals, and provides $103 million in new funding for colleges and universities. Additionally, Blunt provided $335 million to support state-of-the-art learning centers at dozens of colleges and universities across the state.

The governor's Show-Me Solutions initiative is designed to increase awareness about the countless organizations throughout the state that provide assistance to meet community and individual needs. For information about the governor's initiative, visit www.showmesolutions.mo.gov.