Jerry Menne reading with 4th grade students at Valley View School in Ashwaubenon, December 21, 2022. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The results of a Fox Valley report aims to improve literacy in the area and the state.
The State of Literacy Project, an effort led by Fox Valley Literacy, gathered data from 804 community members and 37 organizations across Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet, and Waupaca counties from April 2025 through August 2025.
The results of the report highlights how literacy impacts workforce readiness, economic growth, healthcare access, and community stability.
Across Wisconsin, more than 1.5 million adults qualify for literacy services, and over 50% of adults read below a 6th-grade level.
“Literacy is about healthcare literacy, financial literacy, digital is a huge one,” said Program and Operations Director Heather Chanelois-Kashal. “Everything is online now, people have to navigate complex technical systems to be able to work with their children’s schools, access their healthcare information, to do banking basics.”
Among the results, Fox Valley Literacy found 58% of those asked struggled with identifying trustworthy information online. Nearly half struggled to identify rights and official procedures. 48% struggle to manage their finances properly.
The numbers don’t just impact adults. 44% of those surveyed said they have difficulty helping their children with schoolwork.
Superintendent of the Appleton Area School District Greg Hartjes said it’s hard at work to help reduce those numbers.
Making sure that they understand the communications that we’re sending to them. What does a document mean when we send it to them? How do you read a report card? How do you get access to the parent portal? Those are all the adult literacy pieces that we’re trying to expand on.
“Every child’s first teacher is their parent. Right?” Hartjes continued. “It’s in their home, from birth to four years old or five years old. Before they enter school, they’re going to be developing literacy skills. And the more literate that adult population is in our community, in our homes, it certainly benefits our students when they get to us.”
Fox Valley Literacy has a waiting list of nearly 40 people throughout the year. It hopes to expand it’s work through collaborations with community and government groups.
The report highlights key priorities such as:
- Expanding flexible learning options
- Reducing daily barriers for learners
- Integrating digital and health literacy into education
- Strengthening literacy-friendly workplaces and community partnerships
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