Aztec schools, county fair board launch summer reading challenge

A summer reading challenge backed by Kirtland FFA and the San Juan County Fair Board asked Aztec-area students to stay with books after school let out, with a reward promised to readers who finish 20 books over the break. The Aztec Municipal School District said the effort was meant to keep kids reading through the long summer stretch, when learning loss can make the fall return harder.

The push fits into a broader literacy effort already underway in Aztec Schools. On March 28, 2025, the district announced it was partnering with the New Mexico State Public Education Department for the 2025 NM Summer Reading Program, a free program for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. That program was described as structured literacy support meant to build confidence while school was out.

What makes the new challenge stand out is who is carrying it. Kirtland FFA and the county fair board are usually associated with agriculture and livestock, not reading logs, but the district’s live feed tied them directly to the summer literacy campaign. Aztec High School’s FFA page lists Ty Lee and Rachael Davis as instructors, underscoring that the FFA connection comes from an established school program, not a one-time club project.

The fair board’s involvement also gives the challenge a wider local footprint. The 2026 draft schedule for the San Juan County Fair includes parade day on Friday, August 7, and entry day on Saturday, August 8, along with Kids Day. The schedule also lists an admission promotion for children 12 and under who bring two canned food items, and it includes livestock check-in for beef, poultry, rabbit, goat, swine, lamb, horse and llama.

For families in Kirtland, Aztec and across San Juan County, the reading challenge gives summer structure at a time when many kids lose momentum between grades. By linking books to familiar county institutions like FFA and the fair board, the district turned a routine literacy reminder into something tied to local pride, fair season and the school system’s larger push to keep students engaged when classes are not in session.