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Blount County Education Foundation awards record $90,000 in mini-grants to district teachers
Summary
The Blount County Education Foundation announced $90,000 in mini-grants for Blount County Schools for the 2025-26 school year to support classroom-level initiatives including STEM, literacy, social-emotional health and related arts.
The Blount County Education Foundation (BCEF) announced at the board meeting that it has awarded a record $90,000 in mini-grants to Blount County Schools for the 2025-26 academic year. The foundation said the funds support classroom projects that extend beyond standard budgets, and this year's grants cover areas including STEM, literacy, social-emotional health and related arts.
Renee Pool, identified in the meeting as the executive director of the Blount County Education Foundation, told the board the mini-grant program allows educators to apply directly for funds to support classroom innovations. She described the amount as the largest distributed through the program and thanked district leaders and the community for their support. The board went forward to receive a ceremonial check presentation from foundation board members later in the meeting.
The foundation described the grants as investments to help educators "turn innovative vision into reality" for students. The meeting record lists the award total but does not list individual grant award amounts or recipient teachers beyond the later student and school recognition remarks that referenced other specific BCEF grant winners.
BCEF's grant program and the board's ceremonial acceptance highlight the foundation's role in supplementing district resources; the transcript does not record specific conditions on grant spending or reporting requirements during the meeting.
