Blount County accepts Arconic grant and approves summer-school and year-end budget increases
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Summary
The board accepted a $30,000 Arconic award to the Blount County Education Foundation (matched by $10,000 from BCEF) to pilot a family engagement/ELL support program at ECCA, and approved state summer-school grant spending and a small year-end budget increase.
The Blount County Board of Education voted to accept grant funding and make related budget adjustments, approving (1) a grant to the Blount County Education Foundation from Arconic and (2) state summer-school and year-end budget actions presented by district staff.
The Blount County Education Foundation (BCEF) told the board it was awarded a $30,000 grant from Arconic to support a community and family engagement program focused on English learners and underserved student groups; BCEF committed a $10,000 match. The foundation said the $40,000 total will fund a two-year pilot at ECCA, including interpreter services, tutoring, materials and a part-time stipend-funded facilitator to gather data for possible district-wide scaling.
"These funds can be used to reduce a variety of barriers to academic success," BCEF representative Renee said. Board members voted to accept the grant; the motion passed by voice vote (ayes recorded; no opposition).
Separately, the board approved a state-funded summer-school budget increase for 2024–25. District staff described the summer program as serving 11 elementary schools over 16 days (May through June 17), covering administrator and teacher salaries and benefits, TAs, required nurses at each site, transportation and food service support. The amount presented in the meeting record was described as "$1,343,000.000290 dollars and 21¢"; district staff identified the grant as a state-funded program that requires board approval. The board approved the increase by voice vote.
The board also approved a small year-end budget increase described in the record as a balance of $1,499.15 to close out the fiscal year. That item was approved by voice vote.
Board members said the Arconic-funded pilot will target English-learner supports and family engagement and that the BCEF will collect data during the two-year pilot to inform possible future districtwide staffing or program decisions. Administration said the summer-school grant is annual and funds direct student services during summer programming.
