Iola teachers’ and administrators’ goal to bring in $100,000 in grant funds to the district by year’s end might have gotten easier Thursday.
During the USD 257 Endowment Association board meeting at the Iola High School Thursday, after a lengthy discussion, board members agreed to provide 15 percent matching funds for up to 20 grants worth $65,237. The contribution by the endowment association, which has a $47,000 in its coffers, would not exceed $9,785.55.
“You would only be giving that amount incrementally,” said Brian Pekarek, Iola superintendant, adding that it’s not a foregone conclusion that all 20 grant requests will be awarded.
But the grant writers’ — USD 257 faculty — ability to tout matching funds in the grant requests increases their chance of being awarded the funds sought, Pekarek said.
Before voting to approve the grant match, association members discussed the merits of such a move.
“I think one of the concerns … is how (the grants) are going to affect as many students as opposed to just one classroom or just one teacher,” said Laura Caillouet-Weiner, local Kansas Education Association president.
Deniece Edson, association secretary, echoed Caillouet-Weiner’s concern. The endowment has always contributed funds to school projects impacting students for years to come, she said, pointing to the band uniforms and new track as examples of contributions that continue to have an impact.
“Our band uniforms, it was for only one class but it’s for every class that passes through band,” she said. “So you might have 10 years of students that will be utilizing that.”
The 20 grants written and submitted to the association were written by 13 teachers and administrators, all of whom are a part of the USD 257 grant writing cadre, a group started last month by Pekarek. Of the 56 teachers and administrators in the cadre, Tony Leavitt said the 13 should be rewarded for being proactive in seeking non-traditional funding.
“I agree to a certain extent with the concern that certain classrooms are going to benefit and others aren’t,” he said. “But I don’t think we ought to penalize the people that are taking the initiative to (write the grants).”
The board approved the matching funds for one year on the condition that before next school year, criteria would be determined to spell out what requirements a grant must meet to be eligable for matching endowment funds.
The endowment board will meet from 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 27 in the IHS conference room to discuss methods to increase donations and become more active in the community.
Endowment association to match some of USD 257’s grant dollars
