The Iowa Department of Education will hand out 100,000 book packs — 1 million books in all — to first grade students this winter. ... 64% of Iowa students were at or above a basic reading level.

For the past three springs — in 2022, 2023 and 2024 — 23% of DPS K-3 students were reading significantly below grade level, up from 16% in the spring of 2019, according to district data.