With the start of a new school year comes a renewed commitment to education from the local community. KSMU’s Theresa Bettmann reports on the latest installment of grants awarded to Springfield Public Schools.
The $325,663 awarded in grants to over 50 schools within the district will fund updates in classroom technology, money for academic field trips, fund school-wide reading programs and additional support for science, math and technology. Jana Bachus is the executive director for Foundation for Springfield Public Schools.
“When the Foundation was created over 20 years ago, we felt like a big part of our mission was to provide funding for classroom grants. Through that we established the ‘Back to School Program’,” Bachus says.
The grants were announced last week.
More than 100 programs created by teachers and school libraries will be funded through these Back to School Grants awarded in categories like innovation, engagement, and collaboration. The fourth category added new this year is the Reading Roundup Grant, awarding nearly $23,000 to several library programs.
Dr. John Jungmann is the district superintendent.
“The beginning of a new school year is always an exciting time at SPS. It’s always even more exciting because our teachers know that in the first few days there’s going to be an outpouring of commitment into our classrooms. Not just from our parents but from our community as well. It’s financial but it’s more than just financial—it’s confidence,” says Jungmann.
According to Bachus, grants awarded this year will support educational opportunities for over 25,000 students.
