ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Recent data shows only 38% of New Mexico students are proficient at reading. State leaders say that’s way too low, and they’re spending big bucks to turn things around.

KOB 4 spoke with our Public Education Department secretary about the so-called summer reading boot camp. That’s how Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham described it when she asked state lawmakers for $30 million to help boost literacy rates statewide.

“If we can provide students with opportunities to become better readers, and writers, it’s going to support them in math, science, social studies,” said Public Department Secretary Dr. Arsenio Romero.

That list keeps going, but it all starts with knowing how to read.

“Right now, we are at 38% reading proficiency at grade level across New Mexico, we’re looking at making sure that this is going to give us a boost to really get to the next level,” said Romero. 

The Public Education Departments’ Summer Reading Program kicks off next month. It’s a four to six week boot camp, offering kindergartners through eighth graders a chance to catch up on their reading skills before the next school year.

“Think of it as like a summer school program, where it’s going to be specifically around structured literacy and the science of reading,” Romero said.  

Romero says students will spend four hours a day working with instructors in small groups. Ideally, it’ll have no more than four students, and it’s not just story time.

“It’s really going to focus on phonemic awareness, on phonics, on making sure that we have those, those foundational skills in place,” said Romero.  

The program is completely free for New Mexico families. Romero says classes will happen inside schools all over the state, and they’re making sure all types of students can attend.

“We’re going to be able to provide transportation, we’re also going to be able to provide that breakfast and lunch,” Romero said. 

Romero says at least 3,000 students are already registered, and there’s room for up to 10,000, but they could use more instructors.

“We’re looking for teachers, retired teachers, educational assistants. We’re looking at out of school time partners, we are looking at anybody that really has an interest in working with kids,” said Romero. 

He says they’ll earn $35 an hour.

“We know that this is going to work, we’re already starting to see those gains, especially in districts that have really bought into structured literacy. So this is going to be our next step in New Mexico to get us to the next step to the next level,” said Romero. 

You can register your student for the program or sign up to be an instructor at literacy.nm.gov.