New 2025-2026 Application Toolkit
Review the toolkit below before submitting your Application.
Book Trust brings hundreds of thousands of books to students annually. That’s thousands of supported classroom teachers, thousands of curated personal libraries, and countless joyful reading experiences!
With your school’s or district’s engagement, we can do more.
Apply to Become a 2025-2026 Book Trust School or Reapply for Partnership Next Year
Review the Toolkit below to prepare:
2025-26 School Year Application Timeline
Application Opens
For Current Book Trust Schools (2024-2025 School Year):
Principals will receive the link to the Application via email when the Application becomes available the week of March 24, 2025. All current Book Trust schools must apply to be considered for the 2025-2026 school year.
For Schools Interested in Joining Book Trust in 2025-2025:
Schools not in the program during the 2024-2025 school year must complete the Interest Form to receive an Application for consideration in the 2025-2026 school year. Schools that already submitted the Interest Form for the 2025-2026 school year do not need to resubmit.
The final day to complete the Interest Form is April 2, 2025.
March 24, 2025Application Closes
All schools, including current Book Trust schools, must submit the Application by April 4, 2025 to be considered for the 2025-2026 school year.
April 4, 2025Application Review
A member of the Book Trust team will contact you should we have questions about your Application. Each Application will be reviewed to determine alignment with Book Trust’s Eligibility Requirements including ability to pay the Program Fee (as applicable).
April 2025Admissions Decisions
Every school that applies will receive an email notifying them of their school’s Application status. For those schools that receive an offer, they may also receive information about any Program Fees they are responsible for to secure their spot in the 2025-2026 program.
May 2025Admissions Survey
For Schools That Receive an Offer
Schools that are provided an opportunity to partner with Book Trust during the 2025-2026 school year must secure their spot by:
- Completing the Admissions Survey in early May 2025.
- Submitting payment for their designated Program Fee (when applicable).
Payment must be received by August 2025.
May 2025Invoicing
For Schools That Receive an Offer
Following submission of the Admissions Survey, schools will receive a quote and invoice for their Program Fee in late May 2025. Payment (when applicable) must be received no later than August 2025 to formalize their acceptance for the 2025-2026 school year.
May 2025Payment Due
Payment for Program Fee invoices must be received in full by August 2025. Schools that have not paid their Program Fee invoice are not eligible to begin the onboarding process in September.
August 2025Onboarding and Kickoff
The Book Trust team will be in touch to start the year!
Book Trust Managers and teachers will complete an online orientation and register for Book Trust ordering through Scholastic. When orientation and registration are complete, teachers are ready to implement the Book Trust program in their classrooms.
The fun will begin with an exciting kickoff opportunity for all schools!
September 2025The Book Trust Program Begins!
Students will have the first opportunity to select books and begin building their personal libraries. Book selection will be accompanied by reading engagement resources and activities in November.
October 2025Eligibility Requirements for 2025-26
To be considered for the 2025-2026 school year, schools must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- School will be Title 1 during the 2025-2026 school year
- School serves Pre-K through Grade 5 students
- Payment of the 2025-2026 Program Fee by August 2025 (as applicable)
For questions about eligibility requirements, please reach out to the Book Trust team via email: support@booktrust.org.
All schools, including those partnering with Book Trust in 2024-2025, are expected to complete an Application and fulfill the requirements outlined in the Application process.
Securing Your School’s Offer
Schools that receive an offer to partner with Book Trust during the 2025-2026 school year must:
- Complete the Admissions Survey in early spring 2025.
- Submit payment for their designated Program Fee (as applicable) by August 2025.
Program Fees
In the 2025-2026 school year, participating schools will pay a Program Fee as per the fee structure below. In some few cases, Book Trust donor(s) may support schools such that the Program Fee may be waived. Your principal or district administrator (when applicable) will receive an email notification about this by May 2025 when schools are informed about their Application status.
2025-2026 Program Fee Structure
Number of Students | Program Fee |
1 – 50 | $18 per student |
51 – 100 | $1,325 |
101 – 200 | $2,650 |
201 – 300 | $4,400 |
301 – 400 | $6,200 |
401 – 500 | $7,900 |
501 – 600 | $9,700 |
601 – 700 | $11,500 |
701 – 800 | $13,200 |
801 – 900 | $15,000 |
901 – 1,000 | $16,700 |
1,001 – 1,100 | $18,500 |
1,101 – 1,200 | $20,300 |
1,201 – 1,300 | $22,000 |
1,301 – 1,400 | $23,800 |
1,401 – 1,500 | $25,500 |
1,501 – 1,600 | $27,300 |
1,601+ | Contact Book Trust |
Application Tips
It will take fewer than 10 minutes to complete the Application. Please have this information available before completing the Application:
- School and Principal Contact Information for the 2025-2026 school year
- Enrollment for each grade within your school (Pre-K to Grade 5) for 2025-2026
- Whether or not there is budget available to support a Program Fee, if applicable
The Application will become available starting on March 24, 2025. Applications will be closed after April 4, 2025. All schools, including those partnering with Book Trust in 2024-2025, are expected to complete the Application to be considered for the 2025-2026 school year.
New Schools and Schools Not Partnered with Book Trust in the 2024-2025 School Year
Schools that are not 2024-2025 Book Trust partners must complete the Interest Form to receive an Application. Schools that previously submitted the Interest Form do not need to resubmit.
Applications will be emailed to the contact information provided on the Interest Form.
2024-2025 School Partners
If your school partners with Book Trust during the 2024-2025 school year, the Application will be emailed to your school’s principal starting on March 24, 2025. If your principal has changed since September 2024, please reach out to support@booktrust.org to update that contact information.
FAQ
Who should submit the Application?
The person responsible for budget approval and staff oversight at your school should submit the Application. This is likely the school principal or another administrator.
Do I need to complete the Application if my school is in the 2024-2025 Book Trust program?
Yes. All schools that wish to participate in the 2025-2026 Book Trust program must submit an Application.
I’m a district administrator and would like all my schools to participate in the 2025-2026 Book Trust Program! Are there different requirements for us?
There are not different requirements for districts. We do, however, recommend district administrators who are new to Book Trust reach out directly to support@booktrust.org to receive more details on the process and how best to complete the Application for multiple schools.
How are decisions made about which schools will receive offers to partner with Book Trust in the 2025-2026 school year?
Book Trust has established strong funding networks in several regions across the country, allowing us to prioritize program access for schools in areas where we have secured dedicated resources. Schools in these priority funding regions have a higher likelihood of participating in our program due to our concentrated financial support and established community partnerships.
Is it possible to include students above Grade 5?
During the 2025-2026 school year, our program serves Pre-K through Grade 5 students. If your school serves students beyond Grade 5, please complete the Application with as much detail about your student population as possible, and then contact our Support Team at support@booktrust.org to discuss your unique situation.
When will I find out about Admissions Decisions for the 2025-2026 Book Trust program?
Schools that apply by the deadline will receive an email notifying them of their school’s Application status. For those schools that receive an offer, they may also receive information about any Program Fees they are responsible for to secure their spot in the 2025-2026 program.
I represent a school that is partnering with Book Trust this school year (2024-2025) and we didn’t have a Program Fee. Should I expect a Program Fee in 2025-2026?
Book Trust is committed to making our literacy program accessible to schools that need it most. While we work toward our goal of providing more robust pathways to accessible programming in the future, we currently offer fee waivers in select circumstances. For the 2025-2026 school year, schools may qualify for a fee waiver when the school has been identified by a dedicated funding partner whose contribution substantially covers both administrative costs and program fees for specific school(s). We encourage all interested schools to apply for our program.
What are acceptable forms of payment for the Program Fee?
Schools invoiced for a Program Fee must submit payment, so it’s received by August 2025. Payment can be made by check or electronically. Details on how to send payments will be made available in May 2025 when offers are sent to schools via email.
What is the cost per student?
Please see our fee chart linked here to help you in estimating total cost for your school.
What are the requirements for teachers?
For each of the three seasonal cycles, teachers are expected to:
- Facilitate student choice. This includes designing a methodology that works best for their classroom environment and ensuring students choose from a broad range of grade-level, culturally relevant books using their individual $12 stipends.
- Place orders for books students selected no later than the 15th of each order month.
- Distribute students’ books and celebrate the choices they made. Use those short, joyful moments to welcome new additions to students’ personal libraries and build excitement around reading.
- Lead simple and playful engagement activities designed to transform reading from an individual skill into a shared experience that aims to cultivate a deeper joy of reading.
- Connect families to classroom reading experiences using Book Trust-designed activities.
