25 million children in the U. S. cannot read proficiently.  61% of U.S. children living at or below the poverty line have no books at home. 

68% of Minnesota's fourth graders do not read at the  proficient level. In fact, 39% of those fourth graders performed below the basic reading level. (RIF 2022)

The first three years of schooling are a critical time to learn the basic skills needed to tackle a more advanced curriculum yet many who enter fourth grade struggle with reading. According to the website Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), 65% of fourth graders read at or below grade level therefore as curriculum advances these children fall behind. 

EDU-LINK serves West Central Minnesota. According to Public Use Microdata Area the population in 2024 was 113,249, with 12% under the age of 18, the median household income was $69,252 and 9.3% were in poverty which one in eleven lower than the national level.