Janet Sprucker, chair of the Derby Education Foundation board, told the Derby school board on Oct. 27 that the foundation raised more than $6,500 at a June pickleball tournament and has piloted new grant programs for teachers using a $2,000 donation the foundation received after the superintendent was named a statewide finalist.

Sprucker said the foundation used the $2,000 to fund two new grant approaches: ten $100 grants drawn at a new-teacher luncheon, and five $200 classroom grants awarded after a community “Third Thursday” event. She listed five teachers who received the $200 awards: Natalie Kerr (Derby High School), Sarah Baxa (Stone Creek Elementary), Olivia Johnson (Park Hill Elementary), Eve Terrell (Tanglewood Elementary) and Cassidy Duncan (Oak Lawn Elementary).

Sprucker previewed a short video the foundation produced to promote classroom grants and said the DEF plans to launch its annual fund drive with a goal of $15,000. She invited board members and the public to thederbyeducationfoundation.org for donation details and noted the next grant application deadline (for regular classroom grants) is Nov. 1.

The foundation thanked district staff and community sponsors for support of grants and scholarships and said the DEF will continue to experiment with community-based grant-awarding activities.

No board action was required; the presentation was informational.