A nonprofit is tutoring 90 students at Ruskin Elementary and 40 at Sulphur Springs Elementary. The participants typically improve their reading by at least two levels.

PCAT Literacy Ministries sends teachers and volunteers to work one-on-one or in small groups with children ages 5 to 7 for two hours after school, two days a week, Executive Director GiGi Moise told 83 Degrees Media in a report published Sept. 1.

"Sometimes in a larger class setting students aren't able to get all the help they need," Moise said. Tutors also encourage parents to read with their children 15 to 20 minutes daily at home.

The effort comes as Hillsborough County third-grade reading scores are rising. Fifty-five percent of third graders read at grade level on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking in 2026, up from 51 percent in 2024, according to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Tracie Bergman.

Thrive by Five, a Community Foundation Tampa Bay initiative, has launched an online tool called Thrive by Five Connects where parents can fill out an anonymous questionnaire and receive a tailored list of local literacy providers. As we reported Sept. 1, Hillsborough County Public Schools is offering free full-day voluntary prekindergarten for the first time in the 2026-2027 school year.