New buses, new safety measures and new ways to save money. San Antonio Independent School District's brand-new fleet of propane buses brings lots of perks, and the district didn't even have to pay for them. The most noticeable difference on the buses is the noise, or the lack of it, rather. view article

The Cleburne Education Foundation presented grants to the Cleburne ISD board of trustees during Monday night’s meeting. The board approved three 2018-19 campus grants totaling $6,657.78. Marti Elementary School received a grant to revive their mentoring program. The grant will provide games and activities for volunteer mentors to use when getting to know their student. view article

The Robstown ISD has recently been awarded $2 million in grants for two programs providing resources for some students with autism and dyslexia. Robstown ISD is the pilot district for the effort, and they’ll be sharing the money with nine other area school districts. Those districts include Agua Dulce ISD, Aransas County ISD, Aransas Pass ISD, Benavides ISD, Bishop ISD, Ingleside ISD, Port Aransas ISD, San Diego ISD and Sinton ISD. view article

Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced Monday that applications for the 2019-2021 Grow Your Own: Teachers, Cycle 2 grant programs are being accepted. Local education agencies including school districts and open-enrollment charter schools, as well as education service centers, educator preparation programs and institutions of higher education are eligible for the grant program, which aims to elevate the teaching profession in Texas by developing high-quality education and training courses at the high school level. view article

La Joya ISD students can expect to see some changes outside the classroom thanks to a new grant. "We'll be able to provide after-school centers of education at ten campuses and many activities and programs for our students," Maria Leal, the district's grant coordinator, said. view article

The Katy ISD Education Foundation recently elected officers to lead the non-profit organization in its mission to provide resources to enrich teaching, inspire learning and enhance opportunities for students enrolled in Katy ISD.  The foundation is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors made up of Katy-West Houston business leaders, Katy ISD campus namesakes, current and former Katy ISD parent volunteer leaders, retired Katy ISD teachers and community volunteers. Elected officers include Susan Smith, President; Mike Van Hoozer, Vice-President; Robyn Pye, Treasurer; Tara Wilson, Past-President. view article

Two campuses in Ore City ISD are among 19 schools in Texas and California to receive STEM grants issued by the makers of the TV show “Young Sheldon,” which stars former Ore City student Montana Jordan. The Young Sheldon Stem Initiative, launched by the foundation of the show’s producer, Chuck Lorre, will offer more than $600,000 in two-year grants to support STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs. Texas and California schools were chosen because the series is set and filmed there, according to the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. view article

Tomball ISD announced Wednesday that five of its schools were awarded a grant from The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. The grant program—titled The Young Sheldon STEM Initiative—was inspired by the hit comedy series of the same name, according to a news release from The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. The grant program offers two-year grants from TCLFF supporting learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, according to the Sept. 12 news release. The two-year educational grants total more than $600,000 and are awarded to 19 elementary, middle and high schools in Southern California and East Texas beginning in the 2018-19 school year. Inspired by “Young Sheldon,” the grant caters to schools in Southern California where the show is produced and in East Texas where the show is set, according to the news release. view article

The La Joya Independent School District has been named a recipient of the Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant, funding for which has begun for the 2018-2019 school year. LJISD is the only district in the Rio Grande Valley to receive this grant for four years. Five other districts in the Valley received the grant, but only for a two-year period. view article

Alamo Heights High School students will vie for $10,000 – and bragging rights – in a “Shark Tank” style competition that will take them through the group process of becoming a startup.  The 130 junior and senior students are participating in the year-long Heights Business Incubator, an elective course that leads students from the idea phase to the development phase and through to pitching the product for their new business. The winners will receive $10,000 to fund their entrepreneurial venture. view article

 A grant from AEP continues to benefit the technologically savvy students over at the Laredo Independent School District. The American Electric Power Foundation Credits Count STEM Program, the Laredo College, and LISD are helping distribute 1-point-six million dollars over the course of five years. view article

Clear Creek Independent School District has received support for a pilot project that will help disadvantaged students affected by Hurricane Harvey. The Rebuild Texas Fund has given Communities in Schools-Bay Area, or CISBA, a grant for $210,150, some of which will be used to fund the Clear Creek ISD Community Partnership Project. The program will support students who were affected by Harvey by giving underserved campuses access to critical resources, according to a press release. view article

Clear Creek Independent School District has received support for a pilot project that will help disadvantaged students affected by Hurricane Harvey. The Rebuild Texas Fund has given Communities in Schools-Bay Area, or CISBA, a grant for $210,150, some of which will be used to fund the Clear Creek ISD Community Partnership Project. The program will support students who were affected by Harvey by giving underserved campuses access to critical resources, according to a press release. view article

Denton ISD is one of eight school districts in Texas, and 25 across the country, to receive up to $40,000 each for the 2018-19 FAFSA Completion Challenge Grant, according to a district news release. view article

It’s happened again. The Harlingen school district is receiving 250 to 300 tablets through the Sprint 1Million Project, this time solely for Early College High School. “It’s really meant to extend the classroom,” said Veronica Kortan, administrator for Organizational Development for the Harlingen school district. “We did it last year, with lots of great feedback,” Kortan said. “The devices come equipped with Internet services and so that has helped a lot with getting kids to get their resources.” view article

More black, Latino and low-income students in North Texas could be better prepared for college, thanks to a new multi-million dollar investment from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.Two partnerships -- one involving Dallas ISD and one Educate Texas -- will receive nearly $8 million over the next five years under the Gates Foundation’s Networks for School Improvements program, part of a new initiative aimed at boosting graduation rates and college enrollment for black, Latino and low-income students. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday: He’s awarding $5.7 million in school safety grants. Much of it will go to the city of Santa Fe and its school district, which was devastated by a campus shooting in May. And a portion of that money is allocated for mental health services. Noel Candelaria, president of the Texas State Teachers Association, says while educators and parents are happy that the state is responding in the aftermath of the Santa Fe school shooting just months ago, more needs to be done. view article

A $149,060 was recently awarded to Benavides Independent School District by the Texas Workforce Commission. The dual credit and career grant will be utilized by the district to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to provide students with an innovation welding program at Benavides High School. Upon successful completion of this program, students at Benavides HS will have the opportunity to earn a Level 1 certificate through Coastal Bend College (CBC). view article

Gov. Greg Abbott this week announced his office would award $1.8 million in grant funding to the City of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Independent School District to develop a long-term resiliency center and counseling services. The grants come a little more than three months after a 17-year-old gunman opened fire at the district's sole high school, killing 10 and wounding 13. Students returned to the fortified school on Monday to begin the 2018-2019 school year. view article

More than $1 million will be spent over the next three years at Lockhart ISD to help increase attendance and improve grades, thanks to a grant awarded by the Texas Education Agency.  In total, 200 elementary aged students will be picked for the after-school program. The district says the students will be picked based on their attendance and their academic need. The students picked will be paired up with teachers who will tutor and mentor them from the time they get out of school until 6 p.m. — at no charge to the parents.  view article

The Sunray Bobcats are kicking off their baseball program with the blessing of the Texas Rangers. The MLB team and Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company gifted a grant of $8,250 to Sunray ISD on Friday to help with the startup of their upcoming baseball team. view article

SHREVEPORT, TX - More than 300 school districts eligible for Hurricane Harvey displacement funding. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been awarded more than $174 million in new federal assistance. The federal funds are destined to assist Texas school districts with education costs for students displaced by Hurricane Harvey during the 2017-2018 school year.  TEA provided the U.S. Department of Education with information from school districts and charters regarding displaced students, the information submitted put them in the queue to receive the federal aid. The schools eligible for receiving federal assistance: view article

As many people are shopping for back to school clothes and supplies, teachers are busy getting their classrooms ready for the new school year, and the Abilene Education Foundation is helping out first-year teachers with a little extra cash. Her classroom is still a work in progress, but just the process of setting it up is a dream come true for Bethany Anderson, a first-year ESL teacher at Lee Elementary School. view article

Thursday afternoon, Socorro Independent School District officials announced that the district had been awarded the 2018-2019 Technology Lending Grant by the Texas Education Agency to provide more students access to high-quality digital resources and courses. view article

The Astros Foundation announced today a donation to the Santa Fe Texas Education Foundation in the amount of $75,000 in light of the tragic school shooting that took place in May. The funds will be allocated to support the Santa Fe Strong Fund as well as to purchase equipment for the Santa Fe ISD Police Department. view article

J.C. Penney and the J.C. Penney Communities Foundation will distribute $4 million in grants and donations this year to outfit underserved students for school and to fund youth development and career readiness programs. "As one of the largest apparel and home retailers in the U.S. with over 98,000 associates, we have the means to make a significant impact in closing the opportunity gap and providing all kids, regardless of their background or circumstance, access to the resources they need to succeed," said Brynn Evanson, executive vice president of human resources and foundation chair. view article

Saturday is the final day of NBC 5's "Supporting Our Schools" drive, which will help students across North Texas start the new school year on the right foot by providing them with the supplies they need to succeed. To participate, simply head to any local Tom Thumb or Albertson's store. Then, when you are ready to check out, tell the cashier you would like to make a $10 donation to support our schools. They will add the donation onto your total bill - and you are good to go. view article

Every teacher has a vision of the perfect classroom. They have a clear image of what experiences they could bring to their students if only they had the resources to buy the materials. But that small “if only” is all the hindrance it takes to keep their dreams out of reach. While Katy ISD does all it can to appropriate funding in a way that best benefits students, teachers are limited in the scope of what they can do. Innovative projects that bolster curriculum are outside of public funding. view article

The Brenham ISD Education Foundation received a $10,000 donation from The Grainger Foundation, an independent, private foundation, in support of classroom grants for Brenham ISD teachers. view article

The Brownsville Independent School District has again been awarded a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grant to fund Adult Continuing Education programs in Cameron County for the 2018-2019 school year. The Texas Workforce Commission provides the WIOA grant to 28 different Adult Education and Literacy organizations throughout Texas. TWC held a competition to apply for the funding and awarded BISD $1.57 million to serve adults in Cameron County who are in need of basic education. The grant award is guaranteed for two years and renewable for five years in total. The funds BISD will receive come from the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, which are comprised of Federal, State, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), EL Civics, and Professional Development. view article

To help better the future of their students, Holliday Independent School District is in the process of building a new facility. Thanks in part to a very generous gift, the new facility will house their Head Start program. They feel this program will better prepare their students for kindergarten, as well as their futures. The Head Start program was founded by former President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. According to the office of Head Start, they have served over 32 million children since then. Holliday ISD has a Head Start program that has been housed in the administrative building. That was until former State Representative Charles Finnell donated $32,000 to build a new facility. view article

A recent Cedar Ridge High School graduate is headed to John Hopkins University this fall to study cognitive science and social policy. Then, she’s off to law school. After that? Medical school. At 18, Chioma Chidume dreams of changing public health on a global scale. Her path forward just got a little bit easier thanks to a $40,000 scholarship from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute and GE. Chidume was one of 20 students chosen out of 16,000 applicants to receive $10,000 a year toward an undergraduate degree for up to four years. view article

The Signorelli Company, one of the leading real estate developers in Texas, has pledged $25,000 to the New Caney ISD (NCISD) Education Foundation Endowment Fund. The goal of the New Caney ISD Education Foundation in establishing the fund is to generate $250,000 to potentially provide three top-tier annual teacher grants to foster innovative educational ideas. As the Endowment Fund grows, it will further provide the NCISD Education Foundation Endowment Fund with the financial security to continue to support the district’s mission and vision of ensuring the academic success for NCISD students for many years to come despite fluctuations in the economy, according to executive director Michele Dykstra. view article

The Lumina Foundation in partnership with the Kresge Foundation has designated the Rio Grande Valley as a Talent Hub. Each community designated as a Talent Hub receives $275,000 in grant funding over 31 months. The grant funding “supports local efforts to educate more people, allowing community and education leaders to better meet the specific needs of residents,” according to organizers. The Valley earned the Talent Hub designation “by meeting rigorous standards for creating environments that attract, retain, and cultivate talent” organizers state.  view article

Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has awarded more than $64 million in 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants to 51 entities that will serve students in 371 centers across the state. This federally-funded program (also called Texas Afterschool Centers on Education or Texas ACE), establishes centers that operate before and after school, as well as during the summer. view article