FPE

  • South Panola Foundation for Public Education

     

         The South Panola Foundation for Public Education aims to improve student achievement by encouraging educational innovation and providing new and enhanced instructional opportunities not traditionally funded by the South Panola School District.

     

         The Foundation for Public Education (FPE) was chartered to improve the academic education for the South Panola School District. Today, there are more than 4,800 public school foundations across the United States. With today's budget cuts, decreased tax revenues and rising expectations, similar foundations are becoming popular in many school districts across the nation. The Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization comprised of local business leaders, parents, teachers and concerned citizens.  The Foundation offers many advantages to the local public school district and every dollar raised goes directly to the classroom. There is no paid staff; all work is done by concerned volunteers.

     

         Our goal is to improve student achievement by encouraging educational innovation and providing new and enhanced instructional equipment.  This is accomplished through a variety of activities such as funding grants to teachers for curriculum enrichment programs.

     

         With maximum involvement by both families and corporate citizens, the Foundation can continue to expand its role in funding the best and brightest ideas developed by our schools' staffs. We see it as an investment in our children, our schools, our community and our future.

     

    Achievements

     

          In every school located in the South Panola School District, Foundation-funded grants have allowed teachers to branch out in imaginative ways to enlighten, encourage and excite their students. 

         Over $208,000 in grants have been awarded to date for a wide variety of projects including an outdoor science classroom, a middle school newspaper, a cooking school, literacy and language skills development, interactive musical skills, and uniforms, music, program materials for a show choir, and many, many more. 

     

    Goals

    • Promote authentic ideas for academic improvement through the use of fully-funded teacher grants.
    • Enhance the structure and development of the classroom.
    • Help build community-wide commitment and participation for the school's educational process.
    • Build public confidence in schools
    • Coordinate services for children and families.
    • Foster leadership development by supporting teacher and parent workshops.

     

    Funding Criteria

    • A project can only be funded if there are no other revenues by which it can be financed in a timely manner by the school district. Technology that may be obtained and distributed through the SPSD Technology Department will not be funded.
    • Each dollar of FPE funds must be invested to give maximum educational impact to students per dollar spent.
    • All projects must first be approved by the FPE Board of Directors, then by the Superintendent of Education, and finally by the South Panola Board of Education.