KINGSPORT TIMES NEWS: Book bus coming to Kingsport

KINGSPORT - A book bus is on its way to Kingsport through a Kingsport City Schools partnership.

The completed bus has been a long time coming. A KCS book bus has been in talks since before 2020. In 2024, the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation opened applications for a grant to create a book bus. When Johanna Montgomery, coordinator of Coordinated School Health, and Candice Cradic, coordinator of Family Resource Center, heard about the grant opportunity, they jumped at it.

Montgomery and Cradic intended to spearhead the project with a focus on community and literacy.

"Literacy is key to a child's education," said Montgomery. "When you're younger you learn to read, when you're older you read to learn."

They got support from KCS leadership, including a letter of support from Superintendent Chris Hampton. They also received help from other regional organizations with book buses, such as Hawkins County Schools and Bristol City Schools. Montgomery said they helped KCS with the application process and inspiration for the bus' features.

KCS received the $11,000 grant in the summer of 2024. However, a delay in securing a surplus bus to use led to two years of waiting for the vision to come to fruition. When KCS transportation finally had a bus coming out of commission, the project was a go.

The book bus catches the eye with a colorful mural designed and painted by local artist Joseph Maye.

Many of the books for the bus were sent by Rep. Diana Harshbarger from the Library of Congress. Montgomery and Cradic are also discussing book drops at ETSU to collect additional books.

When students visit the book bus, they can take books to keep or just hang out and read. The bus and its operators will also have a variety of resources for students and families available. The bus is intended to serve all students, not just pre-school and elementary children.

Schools can request the bus for events like school festivals and family engagement events. It is also planned to appear at community events such as Fun Fest, the Kingsport Farmers Market and United Way events, as well as summer food distributions. The bus may even head to housing units where families reside.

Montgomery said the goal is to "serve families that can't always come to us."

The bus will be operated by Coordinated School Health and Family Resource Center personnel. They will also need a volunteer with their commercial driver's license to drive the bus, as well as volunteers to help sort books.

Montgomery said many of the projects she and Cradic work on are fulfilled outside of their presence, so they don't often get to see the fruits of their labor in real time. With the book bus, they will, and it will be especially sweet after the long wait.

The book bus is planned to be completed in April. Montgomery said if all goes accordingly, it will debut during Agriculture Week at the Kingsport Farmer's Market in May.