Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library survives WA funding cuts — for now

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program will stick around for at least one more year in Washington state.

The program provides free, age-appropriate books every month to children ages 5 and under across the nation, regardless of their family's income or zip code.

Imagination Library first came to Washington in 2022 and currently serves 120,000 children across all 39 of the state's counties.

About half of the funding from Washington's Imagination Library program has come from the state Legislature. But that funding was one of the casualties of this legislative session, when state lawmakers grappled with a $12 billion shortfall.

On Wednesday, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal announced his office will keep the program running for another year, using its "limited discretionary funds." He hopes his office will be able to secure permanent funding for the program from the Legislature next year.

While lawmakers "protected basic K-12 education to the fullest extent they could," Reykdal said the state's budget deficit has also resulted in cuts to other critical early learning programs, like Transition to Kindergarten and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP).

The last thing the state needs is to lose out on Imagination Library, too, Reykdal said.

"Washington's youngest children cannot afford to have their opportunities for early learning cut to this extent," he said in a news release. "While I plan to advocate for renewed funding in the supplemental session next year, the Imagination Library of Washington risks losing their effective, statewide infrastructure if funding generated from the statewide match is halted for even one year."

Reykdal said the program is "affordable and scalable," with each book costing $2.60. Half of that cost is typically covered by local partners, and the other half by the state budget. This year, that second half will be funded by Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

RELATED: Why Dolly Parton is bringing children's books to Washington state

Parton founded Imagination Library in 1995 as a tribute to her father, who grew up in poverty in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and was unable to read or write. He, like many children, had to work the fields instead of attending school.

"That troubled him and he was embarrassed by that," Parton recalled during a visit to Washington in 2023, to celebrate the statewide expansion of Imagination Library.

Though Parton is arguably one of the most successful, iconic country music stars in the world, she said her dad was most proud of her work with the Imagination Library program. She hopes the program inspires children to love and enjoy reading as early as possible — and that it will improve literacy rates across the country.