Written by Aaron Leedy, TVSC director of marketing, public relations, and grant writing

There has probably never been a time when the purse strings for public school corporations have been tighter.

As the state legislature prepares to reconvene on Jan. 3rd, public school administrators and teachers across Indiana will again watch as state lawmakers debate and decide the future of education.  What bills will they introduce this year? How might those bills, if they become laws, affect public school funding? These questions come up every year along with the uncertainty of how the policies surrounding education might change.

One thing a school corporation can do to fill potential funding gaps is apply for grants. Grants can provide financial assistance for classroom projects that cost a few hundred dollars to corporation-wide projects that can reach six figures or more in price.

In the summer or 2016, TVSC created a Director of Marketing, Public Relations, and Grant Writing position to help research and apply for grants. Some grants submitted are also written by teachers and administrators. Grant writing is a collaborative effort throughout our school corporation to provide the best facilities and programs to meet the needs of students.

Since Jan. 1 of this year, the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation has received more than one million dollars in federal, state, and local grant funding. This is, in essence, free money that otherwise would have had to come out of the corporation’s budget to fund projects or services throughout Tippecanoe Valley’s five schools – Akron Elementary, Mentone Elementary, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, Tippecanoe Valley High School, and the Burket Educational Center.

In addition to receiving funding, another benefit to pursuing grants is the ability to foster great relationships with local community foundations. Simply put, money donated to these foundations can stay in the communities they serve. TVSC continues to work closely with local foundations such as the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Fulton County Community Foundation, Dekko Foundation, K21 Health Foundation, and the United Way to research and pair grants with specific projects throughout our schools.

Some of the more notable grants received since Jan. 1 of this year include an $84,230 grant from the K21 Health Foundation for a paved walking/biking path at Mentone Elementary School, a $30,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment for counseling services, a $14,000 proactive grant from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation to enhance counseling services, a $16,000 grant from the United Way of Kosciusko County for kindergarten readiness, a $20,000 matching grant from the Dekko Foundation and a $10,000 grant from the Fulton County Community Foundation for library upgrades.

TVSC also received 10 Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services grants earlier this year. Teachers apply for KEYS grants to fund classroom projects ranging from $100 to $1,000. The grants are reviewed by KEYS members who are high school students from four area school corporations in Kosciusko County.

As we continue to watch for changes at the state and federal levels to education, grants will be the one constant we can rely on to equip all students to be successful today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Valley Insight is a recurring monthly article written by administrators on a variety of topics related to education and the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation. Articles will be posted to the district’s website and also shared with the local media.