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Beech Grove outlines strategic plan tied to Marion County Lilly Endowment funding; phase 2 application submitted
Summary
Superintendent Laura Hammock told the Beech Grove City Schools board the district submitted a phase 2 application for Marion County Lilly Endowment funds (district allocation reported at $1,340,000); the district may be invited to apply for a phase 3 proposal for up to $25,000,000, with a concept paper due April 7.
Superintendent Laura Hammock told the Beech Grove City Schools board on Feb. 11 that the district has completed its phase 2 application for a Marion County Lilly Endowment initiative and is advancing a strategic planning process that would guide how those funds are used.
Hammock said the endowment allocated $450,000,000 across Marion County public school districts. Each district received a $50,000 planning grant; phase 2 implementation allocations were calculated at $500 per student, producing a reported Beech Grove allocation of $1,340,000. Hammock said Beech Grove submitted its phase 2 application on Monday and described the phase as non‑competitive but subject to application requirements.
"These are the amount of resources that could completely change the trajectory of the population of students that we serve," Hammock said, adding the district is preparing a concept paper for the phase 3 opportunity and calling the available phase 3 allocation "life changing money." She said phase 3 concept papers are limited to five pages and are due April 7; districts invited to advance will interview in May or June and, if invited, submit full proposals by August with award notifications expected by December 2025.
Hammock framed the grant work as linked to a new strategic plan the district is finishing in March. She described the planning process as data driven and participatory: Education Elements is facilitating the work, the steering team includes board representative Tara and Director of Teaching and Learning Mary Story, and the district reported nearly 2,000 responses to an initial survey and eight focus groups with about 91 participants. The superintendent said the district has ideated four strategic goal areas — community engagement and communication; wellness and belonging; teaching and learning; and leadership and development — and is now prototyping strategies and seeking community prioritization in a second survey iteration.
Hammock said the district seeks measurable outcomes and monthly reporting to the board once the strategic plan is implemented. She emphasized the district has started preparing for a fast timeline if the endowment invites Beech Grove into the phase 3 application process.
What happens next: the board will be updated if phase 2 is awarded; Hammock said the district will return with proposals and recommendations for any phase 3 submission if invited.
