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Local education foundation awards $40,000+ in classroom grants, funds $20,000 pilot for students with intensive needs
Summary
Austin Matters awarded more than $40,000 to eight school projects including a $20,000 pilot after‑school transition and regulation program for students requiring intensive supports and $4,250 for 25 keyboards for middle‑school music instruction.
The Austin Matters Education Foundation presented awards totaling more than $40,000 at the June 10 Board of Education meeting. Rebecca Raymond, chair of the grant committee, said the foundation rebounded after COVID and expanded funding to support projects across the district.
Grants announced included $3,124 to First Steps for a laminator and materials; $2,930.65 to Brookside for care and certification of a therapy dog; $3,400 to Claremont for a districtwide community read with bilingual material distribution; $4,250 to middle school music teachers for 25 full‑size keyboards; $1,100 to support a Hudson River sailing trip for a high‑school course; $3,966 for business‑club supports and competitions; $2,225 for Science Olympiad materials and fees; and a $20,000 award to Carrie Cranston and Ashley Gills to pilot an after‑school transition and regulation program for students with intensive individualized needs (the committee noted that full funding requested was approximately $28,000, constrained by the foundation’s budget). Gina Certario, Austin Matters president, said the pilot is intended as a model for districtwide expansion if successful.
Board members and district leaders thanked volunteers, staff, and donors. Several trustees highlighted the grants’ equity impacts — notably the therapy dog program and the after‑school pilot that aims to increase access for students who need intensive supports — and expressed hope that the programs could scale with additional funding.
