Californias top librarian grilled over missing $650k from Dolly Partons literacy program

California legislators have grilled the state’s top librarian about huge sums of money tied to a statewide literacy program linked to country music legend Dolly Parton that are missing.And it’s the kids who may suffer.Greg Lucas, the state’s top librarian, has been accused of failing to account for almost $650,000 related to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library during, a literacy initiative meant to deliver free books to young children across the state.“You don’t have receipts requested six times.

You don’t have bank statements requested six times from this committee,” Republican State Sen.Shannon Grove said during a budget hearing on education.“You don’t have documents to show where that money was spent.”“Where’s the money?”State officials created a nonprofit and allowed the new organization’s executive director — who also ran a Sacramento consulting firm — to pay that firm at least $208,652, according to committee records.In 2022, Grove, a Republican from Bakersfield who has also called for stricter controls on criminal diversion programs, authored legislation with then-Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins to launch a statewide version of the program through the California State Library.Gov.

Gavin Newsom later signed the bill into law, approving $68.2 million in state funding to cover half the cost of books through a dollar-for-dollar match with local partners.Lawmakers allowed up to 10% — about $6.8 million — for administrative costs and set a goal of enrolling roughly 65% of eligible California children within five years.

The funds remain available through June 30, 2028.But the program stalled for nearly two years after funding was approved.Instead of sending money directly to the national program, the California State Library entered into a $19.2 million contract in August 2024 with a nonprofit called the Strong Reader Partnership.Corporate filings listed a deputy state librarian as the nonprofit’s agent for ...