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Salina board recognizes staff and awards LIFT scholarships and classroom grants
Summary
The board honored staff and student achievements and the Salina Education Foundation presented LIFT forgivable loans for future teachers and announced grant awards supporting classroom projects across the district.
The Salina Public Schools Board of Education on April 8 recognized staff and student achievements and heard from the Salina Education Foundation about the LIFT forgivable‑loan program for future teachers and a year’s worth of classroom grants.
Board members presented You Make a Difference awards to staff nominated by colleagues, and the Superintendent's Excellence Awards were given to student athletes and performers from Central and South high schools for regional and state recognitions.
Kate Lindsey, executive director of the Salina Education Foundation, described LIFT (Loan Initiative for Future Teachers), a forgivable‑loan program funded by community donations that assists students pursuing teacher education in return for service in USD 305. Lindsey reported that since LIFT’s inception the program has awarded $520,000 in forgivable loans and that trustees committed $40,000 to the five recipients selected this year. Recipients introduced themselves at the meeting: Abby Comerford (senior, Southeast of Saline, plans to attend Kansas State University for elementary education), Charles Snyder (student, intends to pursue special education), Lucas Nutter (remarks read by a representative), Katie Snyder (unable to attend), and one other recipient who could not be present.
Lindsey also reviewed the Salina Education Foundation’s classroom grant activity: trustees have awarded $846,000 since the foundation’s founding and committed $28,250 for the 2025–26 school year, including 20 first‑century grants, campus makerspace and literacy projects and a $7,000 allocation for sudden opportunity grants. Specific classroom grants named in the board packet included a book club at Central High, a Tinker Lab at South Middle School, a makerspace at Lakewood Middle School, STEM block funds at CKCIE, math enrichment at Stewart, flexible seating at Sunset and multiple projects at South High including a community storytelling project and theater day.
The recognitions and presentation were delivered as part of the meeting’s presentations section; there was no board vote on the foundation’s report.
