Congress has moved to cut funding by 61 percent for the Reading First grant program, which helps disadvantaged students in kindergarten through third grade in high-poverty schools learn to read. Funding for Utah's 22 Reading First schools is expected to drop from $5.8 million to $2.1 million. However, Harrington said the U.S. Department of Education has given Utah permission to use money it will carry over from the current budget to fund the state's Reading First programs at least for another year.

“We should be able to retain all our programs next school year,” Harrington said.

State education officials hope Congress will restore full funding to the program for the 2009-2010 school year.

So far, Reading First has been a great success in Utah schools, said Lynne Greenwood, state director of curriculum and instruction. Last year, for example, all of San Juan School District's kindergartners in Reading First schools were reading on grade-level, Greenwood said. Often, schools that serve impoverished areas struggle to meet achievement goals.

“Some of our schools have been in the program five years, and over those five years, they've seen great growth in reading achievement,” Greenwood said.

The Ogden, Salt Lake, Granite, Duchesne, North Sanpete, San Juan and Carbon school districts all have Reading First schools.