“It’s such an honor to be here today,” said Jason Goodgame, president of the Pell City School Educational Foundation Program, Inc.
Goodgame presented the grants to Pell City school system teachers at a special reception at Metro Bank.
Each year the foundation awards teacher grants based on each individual grant request.
The grants awarded were about half of what Pell City school system teachers requested.
“Ya’ll do a wonderful job, and we appreciate ya’ll so much,” Michael Barber, assistant superintendent of Pell City schools, told foundation members. “It’s about partnerships. Thank you so much. The foundation has made such a great contribution to our schools. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
The grant money awarded by the foundation goes directly to the classroom.
“We do the best to make the most out of the money we have,” Goodgame said.
The grants are funded through the interest the Foundation receives from its investments of about $697,000.
Goodgame said because of the economy the interest is down several thousand dollars this year, from $21,000 last year to about $15,000 this year.
This year Pell City school system teachers submitted 152 grants valued at $35,907. Sixty-seven grant requests were approved for funding. Grant requests are ranked on merit. Because of limited funding, only about half of the grant requests are approved by the foundation each year.
The Pell City School Educational Foundation Program, Inc. has awarded more than $350,000 in teacher grants since the 501c3 non-profit foundation was established in 1992.
Pell City High School received the most grants, 13, valued at $3,482. Duran North Junior High School received 12 grant awards valued at $2,954. Coosa Valley Elementary School also received 12 grants valued at $2,172.
Walter M. Kennedy Elementary School received 11 grants valued at $2,827. Iola Roberts Elementary School received funding for 10 grant requests valued at $2,220. Eden Elementary School was awarded $1,031 for six grants; Williams Intermediate School received $556 for two grants and Duran South Junior High School received $300 for one grant request.
“I want to congratulate each teacher,” Barber said. “We wanted you here tonight, so you could be recognized.”
Grant recipients include:
• Coosa Valley Elementary School: Debra Stephens, Meagan Jolly, Lauren Brascho (received two grants), Valerie Curtis, Christy Ginn, Valerie Curtus, Marcie Wood, Kathy Dent, Terry Kincaid, Marcie Wood and Kristin McLendon.
• Duran North Junior High School: Rhonda Nolin, Racheal White, Lorraine Hill, Charles Jones, Wendy Latham, Sondra Dile, Donya Deal (received two grants), Alyson Jackson, Donya Deal, Wendy Latham and Julie Payne.
• Duran South Junior High School: Jerry Crowder.
• Eden Elementary School: Vickie Hartzog, Kimberly Anglin, Kim Glidewell, Sunni Wyatt, Kelly Hicks and Amy Clardy.
• Iola Roberts Elementary School: Leslie Hughes, Michele Perry, Jennifer Donaldson, Brittany Simmons (received two grants), Monica Dishongh, Melissa Kelley, Michele Perry, Connie Conolley and Monica Dishongh.
• Walter M. Kennedy Elementary School: Misty Smith, Trish Wright (received two grants), Brittney Turner, Amy Lee, Regina Hubbard, Diane Baker, Charlotte Wallace, Trish Wright, Jennifer Bryant and Monica Christian.
• Pell City High School: Marie Word (received two grants), Micha Anez, Cherith Fluker (received two grants), Shawn Schofield and Amy Fall (joint grant winners), Eric Muth, Alison Newton, and Katie Frost (joint grant winners), Monique Bowman, Christy Smith, Tara McBurnett, Lisa Pope and Bridgett Junkin.
• Williams Intermediate School: Paulette Jimmerson and Janet Griebel.
Contact David Atchison at datchison@dailyhome.com.
