Aubrey Middleton has found a way to continue the back-to-school outreach program established by her mother, Lory Middleton, who died in May.  Aubrey, founder of Lory’s Legacy Foundation, presented 250 backpacks filled with school supplies to E.C. Mason Elementary School on July 15.  “My mom was the glue that held so many communities together with her love and giving heart,” Aubrey said. “E.C. Mason was the school that I attended and where my mom was president of the PTO for many years, so we felt it was the perfect school to receive our donation.” view article

MONTGOMERY, TX — Montgomery Independent School District is receiving input from the public on its plans for federal grant money in the 2021-22 school year. The school district received $772,447 in federal funding through the Title I, Title II and Title IV programs last school year. With the addition of ESSER grants established to help schools recover from and navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, Montgomery ISD is applying for over $7.2 million in grants for 2021-22. view article

Richardson ISD is seeking public input on how to prioritize the nearly $70 million in grant funding the district is slated to receive from the U.S. Department of Education to help address unexpected costs incurred during the coronavirus pandemic. The money is part of the $11.2 billion set aside for Texas public schools in the third round of federal funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, grant fund. view article

Fort Worth ISD received a federal grant providing up to $600,000 annually to develop and implement programs to prevent human trafficking victimization, the district said Monday in a press release. The first part of the grant begins this summer with a prevention campaign called "Don't Get Tricked," focused on alerting individuals on how they might be approached by human traffickers online. The district is one of eight school districts nationwide in the three-year program, which aims to fund three objectives: view article

Richardson ISD parents and community members are being asked to complete an online survey by July 12, regarding how the district should utilize federal funding Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds designed to address COVID-19 recovery efforts. “These funds are designated for one-time or short-term expenditures to address the ongoing impact of the pandemic,” Superintendent Jeannie Stone said in a video presentation. view article

Sulphur Springs ISD students and staff could benefit from up to $11.5 million in federal ESSER Grants funding over the next three years, provided the district can adequately articulate in grant applications that the funds meet the terms stipulated for their intended use. SSISD Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams reported the district has been notified SSISD is eligible to receive two types of federal funding, but must apply to Texas Education Agency for the federal grants. view article

Alice Police Department and the Alice Independent School District received their checks from the Wyatt Ranches Foundation. The entities were two of several local organizations in South Texas. The foundation gave more than $525,000 to several organizations. view article

Conroe ISD Deputy Superintendent Chris Hines reported the district will receive roughly $29 million in the second round of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds. These funds will be available until 2023, he said. CISD’s total allocation of ESSER funds is roughly $64.7 million. CISD’s initial allocation is two-thirds of that total, which is about $43 million, he said. ESSER funds are provided to state educational agencies and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools. CISD intends to use ESSER II funds to respond to the pandemic and to address student learning loss as a result of the pandemic in the 2020-21 school year, district officials said. view article

Carroll ISD is applying for a $1-million grant to compensate for the negative effects of COVID-19, and it needs community stakeholders’ input on how to best spend the funds. Last year, the American Rescue Plan was enacted in March to provide additional funding to school districts to respond to COVID-19. One part of the plan includes a one-time Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief grant to address student learning loss as a result of the pandemic. Carroll ISD announced its intention to apply for the grant, according to MySouthlakeNews.com, but it requires community input. view article

The Alice Independent School District (AISD) school board approved plans to spend $11.2 million in federal grant funds at its Monday, June 16 board meeting. The funding is a partial two-thirds allocation of the grant under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) grant. The first two allocated were under the previous CARES Act. Alma Garcia, executive director of Federal and Special Programs, gave a presentation outlining the guidelines to receive the funds, which were earmarked to prevent, prepare and respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Texas students. view article

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - Texas lawmakers passed several bills this legislative session aimed at beefing up the state’s cybersecurity and warding off cyberattacks like the ones that recently rattled America’s oil and beef supply chains.  One bill that Gov. Greg Abbott has already signed into law will require all employees and appointed officials in local governments who use a computer for at least 25% of their duties to take a cybersecurity course once per year.  “You bet you have to go to training, and you have to pay attention because this is not casual; this is organized crime,” Nora Belcher, the executive director of the Texas e-Health Alliance, told KWTX.  If local governments do not reach full compliance, they will not be eligible to receive public safety grants from the governor. view article

The Mesquite ISD Education Foundation awarded classroom and innovation grants totaling around $163,000. The foundation gives two categories of grants each year – campus grants, which account for necessary maintenance, and innovation grants that fund new programs for the different campuses across the district. The foundation approved 27 grants for the 2021-22 school year. “We make a decision in the spring, and the programs are implemented the following school year,” Executive Director Randy Lewallyn said. “There are 10 innovation grants totaling $125,000 this year.” view article

Coppell ISD is applying to receive Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER) to address unfinished learning and COVID-19 recovery. These funds are designated for one-time or short-term expenditures to address the ongoing impact of the pandemic on our students. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted student learning. In response, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law by President Biden, and it included $122 billion for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds for school districts across the country. view article

Southwest Aerospace Technologies (SWAT) recently donated a large inventory of Global Express parts to Texas State Technical College (TSTC). The parts will be used in the school’s aviation curriculum, which offers Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology training, as well as Avionics Technology and Aircraft Pilot Training Technology degree paths. The donation, valued over $6 million, is also significant because it includes a current in-service complete airframe’s worth of parts that will be used to train students aspiring to work in the aviation industry. view article

Over at College Station ISD, school officials are seeking public input on what direction they should go spending their ESSER III Funds. Last March, the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law, dedicating funds for K-12 schools through Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief (ESSER) III funds. view article

HALLSVILLE — It’s time to pack up those tees for the 19th annual Hallsville ISD Education Foundations’ Golf Tournament “Fore the Kids” fundraiser event.  The annual tournament, which benefits the organization’s grants to teachers program and dual credit scholarships, is set to tee off Monday morning, come rain or shine, Foundation Executive Director Beth Godsey said Tuesday.  The 18-hole, four-person per team scramble is set for 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday at Pinecrest Country Club in Longview view article

Carroll ISD’s board of trustees unanimously approved a resolution to begin collecting feedback from the community on how it should use relief funds it is in line to receive. The district has been allocated over $1 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III grant—or ESSER III. The funds are to be used over three years. Twenty percent of the grant money must be used on addressing learning loss related to the pandemic, per guidelines. view article

Benavides Independent School District received $267,890 from the Texas Workforce Commission's Jobs and Education for Texans (TWC) grant. Benavides ISd school officials and Julian Alvarez, TWC Commissioner representing had a virtual check presentation on Tuesday, June 8. view article

The Sheldon ISD’s Education Foundation gave out 18 oversized checks totaling more than $39,000 last week. The board of directors, superintendent, school board and administrators surprised teachers with in grants on Friday, May 21. The 18 teaching grants were awarded to educators at seven schools throughout the district, according to a press release. The education foundation awarded a total amount of $39,286 in the form of oversized checks to teachers. view article

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (Nexstar)- Ector County ISD is set to receive around $55.9 million in federal grant funds earmarked to help public schools overcome student learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This money, known as ESSER III funds, is available to ECISD over the next three years. view article

A librarian at Ira Cross Elementary School in Killeen, Barbara McYoung, was honored by the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries with a $5,000 grant. Across 43 states, 205 schools received a grant in the amount of $5,000 to update and restock book collections. In addition to the foundation’s grant, H-E-B and Scholastics Books partnered to provide additional monetary awards. view article

Members of the La Joya school board met Wednesday to discuss a big decision: How to spend $147.3 million by September 2024. It’s a tiny part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which Congress passed in March. The plan included stimulus checks, pandemic relief programs and $11.2 billion for public education in Texas. view article

A grant totaling $4.9 million would help the Burnet school district address the impact of COVID-19 on students and education. The district is submitting an application for the money, which is available from the U.S. Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Burnet Consolidated Independent School District would get $3.3 million upon turning in the paperwork and the remaining $1.6 million once the state receives additional federal guidance on the grant.  view article

It was a special night for Navasota Independent School District at the monthly school board meeting Monday, May 17, as they were recognized by Entergy Texas Inc. for taking steps to improve the climate and presented with a check for over $100,000. Mark Delavan, program manager for Entergy Solutions Energy Efficiency Program, spoke to the school board before presenting the district with a check for $111,921.56. “The Energy Efficiency Program helps you earn money for completing energy efficiency projects,” explained Delavan. The bond projects that were completed in phase one and two renovating your high school, junior high and early education center has earned you over $100,000 in our program. The money is already in your bank account.” view article

DALLAS, TX —James Martin High Senior Chiji Mgbahurike is one of 100 high school seniors from underserved communities across the country this year who will receive an Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship. The award includes a $40,000 in scholarship form to study computer science at a university of his choosing and a paid internship at Amazon after his freshman college year. view article

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s spring fundraising season for a handful of Austin public schools. Parent Teacher Associations have been hit hard by the pandemic, and some are coming on strong with events aimed at raising money to support their teachers and students. For a dozen campuses in the Austin Independent School District, certain staff positions depend on PTA fundraising efforts. For several years, schools that tend to be in wealthier parts of town with hefty PTA budgets and high parent involvement, have been able to foot the bill for additional staff members not covered by the AISD budget.    (17) view article

The State Fair of Texas awards graduating seniors across the state more than $1 million in college scholarships. Typically most of the money used for the scholarships comes from donations during the State Fair of Texas, but even though the fair was canceled last year scholarships were still awarded to 170 students, 67 of whom are from the Dallas ISD. view article

Multiple Klein ISD schools awarded grants by foundation The Klein ISD Education Foundation awarded tens of thousands of dollars to several Klein ISD schools during their annual celebration express. Foundation supporters poured into the schools to award innovative classroom grants, delivering $81,631 in total, a Klein ISD news release stated. view article

Locals are also brainstorming incentives, sending out emergency cellphone alerts, running clinics in workplace break rooms and hanging sign-up sheets in churches.  At its peak, the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in Williamson County was administering about 4,000 doses per day. Now it’s half that. County health officials will close the North Austin drive-thru hub in mid-May, shifting the responsibility to a growing number of doctors, pharmacies, public health offices and other smaller providers who have closer relationships with and easier access to the county’s estimated 200,000 eligible residents who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated. view article

Katy ISD is slated to receive about $67 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to help address unexpected costs incurred during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Greg Abbott in an April 28 press release announced the release of $11.2 billion in federal funds for Texas public schools, funds that will be dedicated to help districts address student learning loss and costs incurred during the pandemic. Due to federal requirements, just two-thirds of the funding is available immediately, Abbott said, through grants administered by the Texas Education Agency. view article

Orangefield ISD was awarded a $28,931 grant from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. The money will be used for an Accelerated Learning Recovery Program due to the educational loss of COVID-19. Orangefield greatly appreciates the generosity of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. Pictured are Shaun McAlpin, OISD Superintendent and Sunshine Copeland, OISD District Librarian/Grant Writer. view article

Effective today, districts and open-enrollment charter schools (school systems) in Texas may apply to receive their allocation of the $11.2 billion appropriated to the State of Texas for public education purposes under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III (ESSER III) Fund. Funds are being provided, supplemental to all other funding sources to school systems, and will not be supplanted at the state level. School systems should use these new funds to respond to the pandemic and to address student learning loss as a result of COVID-19. The eGrants electronic grant application will be available on the TEA Grant Opportunities web page on Thursday, April 29, 2021.    (29) view article

The Victoria school district was selected to partner with The Holdsworth Center. The Holdsworth Center is a non profit organization founded by the H-E-B chairman Charles Butt. Victoria school district was one of six Texas school districts selected for this cohort. The partnership is a five-year commitment. It is a $6 million partnership where districts will grow their leaders through the Holdsworth leadership institute programs. Victoria Superintendent Quintin Shepherd said this is the third time the district has applied for this partnership, and he thinks the district and students will benefit from it. “We want to be really deliberate on what we do to improve,” he said. Top level administrators will be the first to go through the leadership training program and leadership on the campuses will follow in the subsequent years. Each group that goes through the training will bring what they learned back to the district, Shepherd said.    (27) view article

Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy received three grants from the Copperas Cove Education Foundation to increase student learning, health, nutrition, and technology access. One of the grants funds a physical education program called Born to Move, which focuses on the development of various motor skills while providing children with disabilities the ability to participate with their peers through inclusive practices. view article

Port Aransas schools are getting reimbursed for measures they took to get things up and running after Hurricane Harvey. The district on Monday announced it had received a grant for more than $1.2 million Federal Emergency Management Agency to help pay for things such as generators, air dryers, portables and security. Those items and more were needed in the aftermath of the Category 4 storm hit the area Aug. 25, 2017. view article