Do We Get Grants?

by Lynn K. McMullin

Does our school district ever take advantage of grant opportunities?

The answer is, “Yes, we do! And, as often as possible!” Since July 1st, we have received $139,000 in grants, and we’re waiting to hear about another $34,000 in pending applications. What have we won, so far?

1. $114,950 for our participation in Open Choice. The grant award must be used to attract, retain, and ensure the academic and social success of Open Choice students. But, it must also include Canton students, so it was a win-win opportunity. Our proposal was to implement a reading recovery program, called Lexia®, at all four schools and it covers the salary for tutors, training, software, headsets, and computer equipment. It also includes $300 per elementary teacher for additional books for their leveled classroom libraries, professional development for Lexia and Botvin LifeSkills healthy choices program, and three renowned programs for grades 6 – 12. The best part is it’s renewable!

2. $15,750 for the curriculum development, textbooks, and materials for our new Personal Finance course at the high school.

3. $4,400 from the Canton Education Foundation for LifeCycles and additional aerobics equipment to support a curricular change in Physical Education grades 7 – 12.

4. $4,000 from the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) for the costs of mentoring our newly-hired teachers.

But, the answer to the question is also that there are dwindling numbers of grants available and often restrictions in the grants limit our opportunity to apply. A common misconception is that philanthropic organizations will simply give money away. In truth, organizations have a very specific mission and clearly defined projects that they want to support. We’ve applied for four grants totaling $$25,000 to improve the courtyard at CBPS. Both grants required “green” elements; in our case, benches made from recycled products and specific teaching stations where students can learn “green” concepts. Thus, we’ve included a photo-voltaic powered pump, solar lights, and a composting center, among other things.

Many grants have specific target audiences, such as urban schools, or disadvantaged schools with high percentages of free and reduced lunch, or schools in specific geographical locations, such as one for habitat studies in coastal areas and another for schools located near a Dow Chemical plant. Many grants target very specific projects, such as webpage development or the development of a Personal Finance course, like the one I mentioned we won above. Virtually none will support salaries, however.

So, how do we find the grants that are right for Canton? I subscribe to a service called “eSchool News Online Grants and Funding Alert” and read it monthly looking for grants that match our needs. Since most grants take many hours to write, it doesn’t make sense to apply for grants requiring us to develop programs we don’t really want or need. In addition, the Board of Education only rarely approves a grant which is embedded with future budget implications, called "future indebtedness" becuase it would require the BOE's support for additional years. Therefore, I most often look for one-time-only purchases or self-sustaining projects.

Feel free to make suggestion, ask questions, or offer a comment,
Lynn