The St. Joseph School District will be getting some more improvements thanks to St. Joseph Public School Foundation grants.
School Board trustee Rick Dyer, who also sits on the foundation board, told school board members about $319,000 in grant money awarded to a variety of projects and items, most notably a a fitness center program at the high school.
“It kind of takes the whole weight room training to a whole different level for the district, and not just for the athletic community,” said Dyer, of the program. “It’s really for all students, and eventually for the community at large hopefully.”
Other grant funds were awarded for a bus trip to Art Prize in Grand Rapids, new band instruments, new equipment for physics and biology classes, as well as some kindergarten coding robots. Dyer also announced the Upton Middle School guidance department received the Carmen Grandy Award for Teaching Excellence.
“That was for a grant furnishing a calming room for students who need to self-regulate,” Dyer said. “So, a lot of good, positive grants and programs we’ve been able to fund through the foundation. We’ll continue to work within the community to generate some funds in order to keep doing this.”
The stated purpose of the St. Joseph Public Schools Foundation is to raise, steward and distribute resources to enrich the education of students in the St. Joseph Public Schools District. Its vision is to increase opportunities for students by securing resources from diverse sources of funding through community involvement. For more information on the foundation, visit sjpsfoundation.org
