Rondout students honored for All‑County music placements; education foundation outlines grants

More than a dozen junior‑high students were recognized at the Feb. 11 Rondout Valley Central School District board meeting for placing in the All‑County Concert Band and All‑County Jazz Ensemble, a sign school staff said of the music program’s post‑pandemic recovery.

The district’s music presenter praised the students’ “incredible amounts of practice,” noting several first‑chair placements and perfect scores at auditions. The presenter singled out individual performers for creating “a reflection of practice,” and asked the board and community to join in applause as certificates were handed out.

After the recognition, representatives of the Rondout Valley Education Foundation described the foundation’s role in funding classroom projects and enrichment trips. Ally Chapin, a foundation representative, said the nonprofit manages roughly $10,220,000 in funds for school‑related organizations and that teachers can apply for classroom grants up to $750 and larger foundation grants up to $3,000.

Chapin highlighted recent examples of funded work: lending libraries in elementary schools, field‑trip grants that restored visits to the Museum of Contemporary Art, and targeted STEM grants that pay for multi‑day projects. The foundation said it distributed about $33,000 in grants in 2024 and is planning fundraising events, including a twentieth‑anniversary Farm‑to‑Table fundraiser.

Board members thanked music staff and students and encouraged the community to support the foundation’s fundraising efforts. The foundation representatives asked the board to publicize foundation events and noted that some grants allow the nonprofit to accept funds the district itself could not manage.

The board did not take any formal action on the foundation’s request; representatives said they would bring event details to the community and continue to solicit partnership and volunteers.