Dr. Putnam Jackson reported to the Derby Board of Education on Aug. 18 that the district’s AmeriCorps grant had been reinstated at its previous award level and that the new grant includes 11 additional service-member positions to serve as social work interns in the district.
Dr. Putnam Jackson said the district had sustained the AmeriCorps program through the end of the prior school year after funding was temporarily pulled and that the Kansas Volunteer Commission (KVC) representative praised Derby’s model of using AmeriCorps in work-based learning roles. He said the grant award for the 2025–26 school year is $166,776 and the district expects to apply for renewal in subsequent years.
Board members asked whether social work interns are an appropriate fit for the AmeriCorps model. Dr. Putnam Jackson explained the positions are intended for college students in social work programs who need practicum hours; the interns will typically provide one-on-one interventions, be supervised by district staff, and serve roughly 20 hours per week as required by practicum standards.
A board member asked whether the change might diminish services to students; Dr. Putnam Jackson said the model aims to expand supports in elementary schools and to create a pipeline into social work careers while also providing supervised clinical practicum experience for interns. The district’s program director, Miss McCarthy, and staff were noted as coordinating student placements and supervision.
The reinstated grant and new positions were described as operational matters in the district update; no separate board vote was recorded at the Aug. 18 meeting on the grant award as described in the update.
Budget and program details reported: award amount $166,776 for the 2025–26 school year; 11 new AmeriCorps service-member positions designated for social work practicum.