Dr. Jake Reynolds, a district administrator, told the DeSoto County School Board that community foundations, a credit union and other partners have pledged roughly $1.1 million to support after‑school care, early‑literacy materials, music programs and classroom upgrades.
The pledges, Reynolds said during a board meeting, include money for a full‑day BPK program, decodable text libraries aligned with the district’s science‑of‑reading work, new band instruments, scholarships for after‑school care and funding for algebra classroom upgrades.
Board members said the donations arrive as the district expands enrichment and supports for students. “This is just a bit of an update on recent funding that we received from some of our community partners,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds identified several contributors and purposes discussed at the meeting: a Branson Foundation grant for full‑day BPK programming; a pending Community Foundation of Sarasota proposal to fund decodable text libraries and curriculum development; Gulf Coast Community Foundation support for music instruments and scholarships for after‑school programs; Suncoast Credit Union funding for high‑school algebra classroom upgrades; the Henson Fund providing scholarships for after‑school and out‑of‑session care; and a proposal described as funding for a community bus.
Reynolds said approved funds total $1,100,000 and that the district was “waiting on another 300, almost 4,000,” language he used while outlining pending items. He told the board some donors will visit classrooms and that staff plan a future donor appreciation event.
Board members and administrators named staff who worked on the fundraising and program planning. Reynolds credited staff members with organizing visits and program details; Ashley Coon was named as a key staff contact for donor relations.
Why it matters: the funding targets early‑learning expansion, enrichment and classroom materials the district said support academic priorities and after‑school access for families. The board did not vote on accepting the gifts during the meeting; Reynolds presented the update and said some proposals remain pending.
The district plans continued outreach to donors and invited board members to join future site visits and an event to thank partners.