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Chappaqua School Foundation funds grants at every school, from cold frames to musical playgrounds
Summary
The Chappaqua School Foundation awarded major grants covering all five schools, including garden cold frames at Graflin, a $22,000 projector for West Orchard, expanded photography equipment at Horace Greeley, a musical playground for Roaring Brook and renewable-energy kits for middle-school STEAM.
The Chappaqua School Foundation presented and the board acknowledged a set of major grants covering every school in the district during the March 26 Board of Education meeting.
Adam Pease and foundation volunteers described two types of CSF awards: rolling InstaGrants (smaller, monthly approvals) and larger annual traditional grants that undergo a two-stage review. The slate before the board included grants identified on the meeting agenda as items 5.3 through 5.7.
Highlights described by Adam Pease and district staff: - Graflin (elementary) will receive cold-frame greenhouse structures and related gardening materials (grant amount given in the presentation as just over $5,000) to extend the growing season for raised beds. The board noted gardening challenges because of short growing seasons. - West Orchard Elementary will receive upgraded large-space projection equipment, including a high-throw projector and related components; the CSF contribution presented was just over $22,000 to support improved auditorium/cafetorium technology. - Horace Greeley High Schoolphotography program will get additional Canon Rebel cameras and lenses to expand access for multiple sections and allow more regular student use during the school day. - Roaring Brook Elementary will receive a musical-playground installation modeled on West Orchardinstallation; presenters said a similar prior build cost about $46,000 (presenter characterized that figure as approximate). - The two middle schools collaborated on a renewable-energy exploration kit for integration into sixth-grade science and STEAM lab work; kits include solar, wind and water-powered components to let students construct sustainability projects.
Todd (CSF board member) thanked district staff and the board for their partnership; the presenters said this is the first year in roughly a decade that a CSF major grant was awarded at every school.
The grants were included in the consent agenda (items 5.1 through 5.15) and the board approved the consent agenda by a single motion and voice vote. The foundation also announced its annual gala on May 1 at Goosefeather to raise funds for future grants.
The board's consent motion covered additional cooperative-service renewals with BOCES and internal audit reports; board members asked clarifying questions about Northern and Southern BOCES cooperative purchasing agreements and internal-audit recommendations on fixed-asset controls.
The board did not provide roll-call vote tallies for consent items in the public transcript; the consent agenda was approved by voice vote.
