PORT CHARLOTTE — It’s not a soda or snack machine in the Deep Creek Elementary School lobby that students gather around on their birthday — it’s a book vending machine.
Kathleen Skavroneck, Title 1 Achievement family associate at Deep Creek Elementary, introduced the book vending machine concept in the 2021-22 school year.
It’s been a huge success.
Deep Creek Elementary was the first school in Charlotte County to get a $6,000 book vending machine. Then Myakka River Elementary in Englewood received one.
Most recently, Sallie Jones Elementary School in Punta Gorda had a ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of the third machine in the district.
“The $6,000 price tag includes the special wrap with the school logo,” said Skavroneck, who donated toward the machines. “Because of the generosity of the community, we bought two vending machines for the school.”
Skavroneck said the machine includes titles the students enjoy reading, giving them a “sense of ownership and excitement that they have their own book.”