DATE: 11/05/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
2025-421
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CALIFORNIA LIBRARY LITERACY SERVICES PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $74,997 FOR ADULT AND FAMILY LITERACY
SERVICES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to accept and appropriate the California Library Literacy Services Program grant to continue the Corona Public Library’s adult and family literacy programming. The total award for FY 2026 is $74,997 ($39,249 for Adult Literacy Services and $35,748 for Family Literacy Services).
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Accept grant funding from the California Library Literacy Services Program in the amount of $74,997 for the Corona Public Library’s Adult and Family Literacy Program.
b. Authorize an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $74,997 ($39,249 for Adult Literacy Services and $35,748 for Family Literacy Services) to the Community Services Department’s operating budget within the Adult and Family Literacy Grant Fund 442.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to adjust the budget accordingly if the grantor distributes additional funds to grant participants.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Adult Literacy Program has been in existence since 1994. It is funded almost exclusively through grants from the California State Library, for which the City must apply annually. This funding supports the purchase of supplies and resources, such as educational software and online resources for our volunteer tutors and their adult learners. Training for volunteers and staff is also funded. The annual funds are supplemented with other grants, donations, and general City revenues when available.
The Adult Literacy grant has allowed for the creation of a partnership with Corona Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) Adult School.
In 2018, the Corona Public Library applied for and was awarded the Family Literacy Program grant through the California State Library. The goal of the Family Literacy Program is to provide learning and literacy support to low-literate adults and their families.
Focus areas include strengthening a library’s capacity to deliver high-quality family literacy services, helping low-literate adults develop confidence and skills in supporting their children’s education, and creating opportunities for families to develop a culture of positive learning experiences on a more sustained basis. The Corona Public Library applies for and receives the Family Literacy grant annually concurrent with the Adult Literacy grant.
ANALYSIS:
The Corona Public Library (CPL) has been awarded $35,748 for FY26 to support existing family literacy programming in the community. These funds will strengthen the services provided to learners enrolled in the California Library Literacy Services program and support the library in reaching out to and engaging underserved adults and families. The CPL was also awarded $39,249 to provide adult one-on-one literacy tutoring. Tutoring encompasses many skills, including reading, math, financial literacy, and basic computer skills.
The State of California provides the program funding and is administered by the California State Library. The grant period is July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The project’s final expenditure date is September 30, 2026.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $74,997 ($39,249 for Adult Literacy Services and $35,748 for Family Literacy Services) to the Community Services Department’s operating budget within the Adult and Family Literacy Grant Fund 442 for the California Library Literacy Service Program. These grant funds do not have a matching requirement. Grant funds must be fully expended in accordance with the City’s approved budget by September 30, 2026.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is a financial transaction between the California State Library and the City of Corona, and there is no possibility that adopting this resolution will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: KATHERINE BACKUS, MANAGEMENT ANALYST I
REVIEWED BY: DONNA FINCH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Grant Approval Letter