The year-long citywide challenge to improve literacy rates among school-aged children known as “River City Readers” has surpassed its goal of 1.5 million minutes read, according to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan.

READ USA released results Monday morning on its first literacy tutoring reading intervention study in seven Duval County elementary schools.

Kids Hope Alliance and the Jacksonville Library are encouraging kids to read this summer to boost literacy rates before the next school year.