10/06/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
United Way Invests $15,000 in Literacy Partnership with Sandusky City Schools
My Brother’s Keeper initiative brings schools, families and community partners together around third-grade reading success
SANDUSKY, Ohio — October 6, 2026 — United Way of Erie County has invested $15,000 in literacy and is partnering with Sandusky City Schools to lead the local My Brother’s Keeper initiative, with a shared goal: helping more students read at grade level by the end of third grade.
The partnership will focus on My Brother’s Keeper Milestone 2 and align community resources with Sandusky City Schools’ literacy priorities. United Way will collaborate with the district, families and community partners to support reading growth, strengthen early learning and reduce barriers that can affect student success.
“This investment gives our community a clear focus and a shared responsibility,” said United Way Executive Director E.J. Brinson. “Our educators bring instructional expertise, our families bring an understanding of their children, and our community partners bring resources and relationships. When we connect those strengths, we can build better pathways for children and families.”
Local data, shared responsibility
According to Sandusky City Schools’ Reading Achievement Plan, 64% of third-grade students scored below proficient on Ohio’s state English language arts test in 2024–2025: 47% scored in the Limited category and 17% in the Basic category. At the beginning of 2025–2026, 80.9% of kindergarten students were identified as “not on track” in language and literacy on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. The measures assess different stages of development, but both highlight the need for early and sustained support. The figures appear on pages 12 and 9, respectively, of the district’s plan, published by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. (education.ohio.gov)
The $15,000 investment and partnership provide a foundation for collaborative action that builds on the district’s existing literacy work. Partners will establish current baseline measures, define responsibilities and track progress toward the third-grade reading goal.
“Sandusky City Schools is grateful for this meaningful investment from Erie County’s United Way and its commitment to strengthening early literacy. We recognize that improving student achievement is a shared responsibility, and our greatest progress will come when our educators, families, and community partners work together toward a common goal,” said Dr. Luther Johnson Jr., Superintendent and CEO of Sandusky City Schools.
“This investment will allow us to provide additional professional learning for our teachers and, equally important, expand the resources and opportunities available to families to support learning beyond the classroom. When we equip educators with the right tools and engage families as partners in their children’s learning, we create stronger pathways for student success.
“We applaud United Way for its solutions-focused approach and its investment in our youngest scholars. Early literacy is the foundation upon which future learning is built, and this partnership will help us strengthen that foundation and continue moving our students and our community forward.”
My Brother’s Keeper provides a framework for that collaboration. According to the Obama Foundation, its second milestone focuses on reading at grade level by the end of third grade, with families, schools and community organizations sharing responsibility for progress. The initiative’s broader mission addresses persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. (obama.org, obama.org)
Pathways that connect children and families
Under Brinson’s leadership, United Way has emphasized “pathways over programs”—organizing resources around people’s needs and connecting immediate assistance with longer-term progress.
The literacy effort adds another component to United Way’s Barrier Reduction Pathway and its work with ALICE households—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—and families living in poverty.
For a working household struggling to afford basic expenses, a transportation problem, housing disruption or childcare gap can affect the entire family. Addressing those barriers while strengthening a child’s reading skills connects support across generations.
Through 211 and its Barrier Reduction Pathway, United Way helps families identify needs and connect with available resources. Through the MBK partnership, United Way and Sandusky City Schools will connect community collaboration and investment with a focused educational outcome.
“We are attacking poverty by addressing the barriers people face and strengthening the pathways available to them,” Brinson said. “That means working together when a family needs help today while investing in the skills and opportunities that can change tomorrow. Literacy is an essential part of that commitment.”
Education as a community and economic priority
Reading supports learning across school subjects and prepares young people for further education, training and employment. For United Way, that makes literacy a shared priority across its Health, Income and Education pillars—and an opportunity for employers and community leaders to invest in the next generation. (obama.org)
United Way will lead efforts to bring community partners together in collaboration with the school district, aligning resources with instructional priorities. Families’ experiences and students’ needs will help shape the response.
Potential strategies include district-aligned tutoring, family literacy activities, summer learning and collaborative support for barriers affecting participation. Partners will shape these strategies together, building on existing services and identifying where additional resources can make a difference.
Progress will be assessed through reading growth, proficiency and sustained engagement. Outcomes will be reviewed by race and gender to help partners identify opportunity gaps and determine whether investments are reaching the students who need them most.
Libraries, youth organizations, faith communities, employers, funders and residents will have opportunities to contribute expertise and resources toward the shared goal of helping students read at grade level by the end of third grade.
“Our children’s potential is already here,” Brinson said. “Our job is to build better pathways for it to grow. That takes schools, families, businesses and community organizations moving together—with purpose, clear responsibilities and a commitment to results.”
About United Way of Erie County
United Way of Erie County serves Erie and Huron counties by bringing people, partners and resources together to advance Health, Income and Education. Through community investments, 211 connections, financial empowerment and its Barrier Reduction Pathway, United Way works with community partners to help individuals and families address immediate challenges and pursue lasting stability and opportunity.
United is the Way. Together, We Go Further.
Source references
Sandusky City Schools Reading Achievement Plan, published by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Page 12: third-grade English language arts results; page 9: Kindergarten Readiness Assessment results.
Obama Foundation — My Brother’s Keeper Milestone 2: reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
Obama Foundation — My Brother’s Keeper Alliance mission: addressing opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color.
