Former first lady Mrs. Barbara Bush and Klein ISD superintendent Dr. Jim Cain participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Reading Express, a mobile library that will visit neighborhoods and apartments of students who lack transportation to a public or school library during the summer. The ceremony was held at McDougle Elementary School on October 27.

Mrs. Bush compared the bus to an experience in her life. Someone gave her a peony plant with instructions for keeping the plant in bloom for 100 years. The peony was placed in the ground at her summer home in Maine where it continues to bloom. She noted that the Reading Express will plant the seeds of loving to read in the lives of children that will continue to flourish. Teaching children to love to read “is one of the best things you can do for our country.”

She described the bus that was formerly a Klein school bus by noting, “What a fantastic bus” that will help children improve their reading skills and make happy memories.

The bus was transformed into the Reading Express through the efforts of members of the shop of the transportation department and Mr. Tommy Mueller, Mr. Mike Hanson, Mr. Billy King, Mr. Ken Hazelwood, and Mr. Bob Morgan of the maintenance department.

The Reading Express began with a dream, expanded to become a grant application that was funded by the Klein ISD Education Foundation for librarians at five Title I schools, and gained additional support from the foundation to become a reality. Memorial donations to honor the memory of Ms. Debra Macomb, a teacher and a friend of the foundation, also supported the creation of the Reading Express.

Mrs. Anne Vallette, the director of the Klein Education Foundation stated, “I love collaboration, community involvement, life long learning, eager students and great teachers. The Reading Express pulls all of those together.”

Collaboration among the Klein Education Foundation, the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce that orchestrated the ribbon cutting, White Oak Energy/Absolute All Sports provided funds for the grant, and other generous community members was necessary for the Reading Express to become a reality. Additionally, Spring Carpets donated rugs for the Reading Express, PBK Architects donated their services in designing the exterior design of the bus.

Elizabeth Rojas, Adam Machala, Sarah Fulp, D’John Thomas, and Dani Dittrich who are students at Vistas High School Program painted a mural on the ceiling of the Reading Express.

Student representatives of Eiland, Nitsch, Epps Island, McDougle, and Kaiser elementary schools attended the ceremony. The choir of McDougle and the orchestra of Klein Forest High School provided the musical entertainment.

Ms. Barbara Thomason, the president of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce stated at the ceremony, “This is a special day, not just because of the excitement of Mrs. Bush’s participation. It is a special day for the Klein ISD because the district has a new tool for outreach to help student become good readers.”