A discussion on grant funding turned into a larger discussion about how programs are spread throughout the Warren County School District during Monday night's Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Committee meeting at the Warren County Career Center.
When discussing a $1,000 grant that would be used to offset the costs of the Business Week program at Youngsville High School, board member Tom Knapp asked, "Is this one of those one-school-gets-it-all things?"
Matt Jones, coordinator of grants and foundation development for the WCSD, said, "Youngsville High School fund-raises in the community. If another school was interested, they could raise the program."
"It's a week-long program and it requires a huge commitment," Director of Secondary Education Amanda Hetrick said, noting that the program costs approximately $16,000. "Youngsville High School has raised the money entirely on their own."
A similar discussion was held regarding a grant at Youngsville Elementary Middle School that would train staff in the use of positive behavior supports to address crisis situations.
Board member Nancy McDanel asked, "How did we determine the pilot school? I think it's a great program." She expressed a desire to "enhance it throughout the district."
Jones said, "The application was written with a sustainability narrative" that includes teacher training as part of the program to "get programming into Youngsville Elementary Middle School and build it out to the rest of the district."
While these programs are currently limited in scope throughout the district, each building is given an opportunity to implement any of these programs.
Committee chairman Dr. Paul Yourchisin said, "Every school has an opportunity to have everything. An offer was made. (The) school had to reach out and grab it."
Hetrick noted that the building-level administrators "have priorities and they differ."
"Sometimes we do go at it as a district," Director of Administrative Support Services Amy Stewart said, citing the 21st Century Learning Centers established throughout the district as an example. But choices are still afforded.
"We do let them pick," Stewart added. "We're pushing our staff to learn new things." She added that the district has "picked up more than one program starting it in one building and then making a determination."
Former board member Kim Angove said that, through her experience serving on the committee, "A lot of the grants come from teachers finding them. Our teachers are very resourceful, too. Some of these grants they are finding on their own...coming through the board but taking the initiative."