Dewey Elementary School in Point Loma serves a community where, according to its principal, 85% of students are from military families.
San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer was at Dewey Elementary, according to a Facebook post.
A School Built Around Military Families
Dewey Elementary opened its doors more than 50 years ago and has long served the historic Point Loma area, according to 10News. Principal McMillan told the station that the school's population skews heavily military. “We are 85% military, and we like to support our kids while their parents are out supporting us,” she said.
In one effort, 40 Dewey students each received five books of their own along with a backpack provided by North Island Credit Union, part of the station's reporting on a broader literacy push. The effort is tied to a Storytime program that the outlet says will expand to give an entire grade level free books in the coming months. That program runs in partnership with the San Diego Council on Literacy and North Island Credit Union, with support from the San Diego County Office of Education, per the same report.
Wall Art Carries a Message for Young Readers
Photos attached to Lawson-Remer's post show the new library's walls lined with motivational messages aimed squarely at its young readers. One reads: “Everyone is a reader; some people just haven't found their favorite book yet.” Another urges students to “Dream big. Read more. Think beyond,” while a third declares, “Together we shine brighter.”
A separate section of wall text reads, “The bravest thing you can do is try,” alongside a message thanking people for making a difference and crediting Heart of America for its support. The messaging reflects a space designed not just to hold books, but to encourage students who may not yet see themselves as readers to pick one up.
Part of a Larger Literacy Push
The new library arrives as San Diego Unified grapples with uneven reading performance across its campuses. Data examined by The San Diego Union-Tribune show that many district kindergartners already arrive behind grade level in reading, with scores taking another hit once students reach middle school. The district has also been gradually adopting what's known as the science of reading, including a Literacy Acceleration Plan that used pandemic-era funding to provide professional training, instructional materials and reading-support teachers at 30 schools, according to Voice of San Diego.
The Union-Tribune reported earlier this year that San Diego Unified had nascent plans for a literacy curriculum. For a school like Dewey, where the student population shoulders the unique pressures that come with military family life, those books offer one more tool in that broader effort to get kids reading and keep them there.
