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Lebanon Schools Foundation mini-grants fund classroom projects; Hall of Fame class named
Summary
Superintendent Meckler told the board the Lebanon Schools Foundation awarded mini-grants (up to $500) for robotics, literacy, career training and arts projects; the foundation also announced its 2025 Hall of Fame inductees and noted payroll deductions and occasional donations fund grants.
The Lebanon Community School District board heard reports on mini-grants awarded by the Lebanon Schools Foundation, which funds classroom and staff projects up to $500 each.
Superintendent Meckler explained that staff — not only certified teachers — may apply for the awards and that the foundation requires recipients to share project outcomes with the board. Meckler said the grants supported a wide range of classroom uses, including a sixth-grade robotics kit for Hamilton Creek, book sets for "Battle of the Books," greenhouse supplies for a transition program serving 18–21-year-old students, and materials for AVID student-of-the-month awards. "It is fun," Meckler said of seeing staff and students use the funds.
Several grants targeted hands-on and career-oriented learning. Presenters described EMR and CNA classes where students earned certifications, and a pharmacy-tech pathway with students passing national exams. Meckler said staff would provide exact counts of certified students upon request. One recently approved mini-grant of $18.75 was awarded to middle-school band students to attend a summer camp in Albany; most grants are up to $500 per application.
A foundation representative said the Jean and Jeanette Hartle Fund specifically supports career-education opportunities; the foundation largely raises money through optional staff payroll deductions and occasional public donations and selects recipients through a review committee.
The foundation also announced its 2025 Hall of Fame inductees — Don Brown, Milton Moran, Ben Masog and Dan Speasel — and said the induction event is scheduled Oct. 25.
What this means: The mini-grants provide quick, classroom-level funding for instructional materials and student experiences across academic, arts and career-technical programs. The foundation representative noted the program is competitive and that staff participation through payroll deductions is the primary funding source.
