ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — City leaders in St. Pete are close to finalizing the budget for the next fiscal year and one of the line items that has city council members buzzing is the celebration of the five-year anniversary of the pier.

In a recent meeting, city officials said they were planning to spend more than $700,000 on the celebration. Some city council members questioned that amount and how that money could be used elsewhere.

In a statement to Spectrum Bay News 9, city officials said:

“The original amount budgeted for the Pier’s five-year celebration was a placeholder to fund various events. Staff is reassessing anticipated expenses for the celebration and will bring a reduced amount to City Council for their approval.”

Spectrum Bay News 9 spoke with St. Pete City Councilmember Gina Driscoll, who says that amount needs to be lowered.

“I am all for celebrating the five-year anniversary next year, I’ll be there. Should we spend $750,000 on it? I’m not so sure. I think in a time when we really have to look at our wants versus our needs. I think we can still have a fantastic celebration and put some of that money towards our needs,” said Driscoll.

In that same meeting, city officials announced they won’t be funding a program meant to ensure African American children in St. Pete are learning to read.

The Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read Campaign was funded by the last fiscal year, but it may not be around for long if they don’t receive funding this upcoming year.

The program partners with organizations like Habitat for Humanity. They make sure every home comes with a reading nook for each child.

“Habitat was an excellent partner because they were aiming to move the needle on housing,” said Phyllis Wheatly Rise to Read Campaign Founder Maria Scruggs. “Guess what? In south St. Petersburg, the majority of the homes that are dedicated are African American women, single, with small children.”

According to the Florida Department of Education, in the last school year, only 36% of African American students in grades three through ten were reading on or above grade level. Compare that to 61% of white students and 46% of Hispanic students.

Scruggs said those achievement gaps are what made her start the Phyllis Wheatly Rise to Read Campaign. 

“The Phyllis Wheatly Rise to Read Campaign is a solution-oriented nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that African children in St. Petersburg are reading at grade level or above,” Scruggs said.

The campaign uses a different approach with a literacy consultant monitoring in the classroom, several after-school program partners and a commitment from the families and the community.

“Typically, what we are accustomed to is funding that goes to a program. We have children reading. We have children being tutored. That’s been going on and on. We’ve spent millions of dollars in single funded programs. It hasn’t worked,” said Scruggs.

Last year, the campaign kicked off in a pilot program at Campbell Park and John Hopkins Middle School, where Shametra Green’s two children attend.

“For both of them, their reading scores have been a little low and my daughter math as well, but my son, Kamarion, his is improving since he’s been in the program — the Phyllis Wheatly program,” Green said.

But that’s now in jeopardy because of budget cuts in the city — something most city council members expressed serious concern about.

“It feels a bit wrong to have a line in the budget to spend that much money for a party for the pier when we have Black children who can’t read,” said Driscoll.

City officials said they provided seed money for the campaign — if they want more, they can present their program to city leaders a third time to see if they qualify for possible grant funding.

Scruggs says with their funding in limbo, the children will ultimately pay the price of losing the program.

“We’re asking for the same level of funding, which was $250,000. What we have had to come to the hard reality with if we do not get the funding, we will not implement Phyllis Wheatley,” Scruggs said.

The city is holding public meetings to discuss the upcoming budget. The first one is on Thursday at 6 p.m. at St. Pete City Hall.