The Carthage ISD Education Foundation awarded more than $254,000 in teaching grants to Carthage ISD educators during its annual Grant Patrol event Friday morning. In all, 72 grants totaling $254,148.31 were awarded.
Foundation board members, district leaders, community supporters, and student groups from Carthage High School surprised teachers across all campuses with checks in hand and cheers echoing through the halls. This year’s grants will fund a wide variety of innovative classroom initiatives, from STEM projects and literacy programs to field experiences and instructional technology.
“This is one of the best days of the year,” said Superintendent Jarrod Bitter. “It’s a celebration of our teachers’ creativity, their heart for students, and the community support that makes it all possible. We are grateful to our Foundation and to every donor who invests in the success of our students.”
This year’s event was especially meaningful as it marked the final Grant Patrol for longtime Carthage ISD Education Foundation Executive Director Cynthia Roberson, who will retire in May.
“Watching teachers light up when they realize their ideas are being brought to life—it never gets old,” Roberson said. “This Foundation has been a labor of love, and I’m proud of how much it has grown. Our community believes in our kids, and that support shows up in powerful ways on days like today.”
Grants were awarded at all five Carthage ISD campuses:
Carthage Primary: 16 grants totaling $53,033.01
Libby Elementary: 15 grants totaling $38,301.61
Baker-Koonce Intermediate School: 18 grants totaling $66,698.34
Carthage Junior High School: 8 grants totaling $28,157.45
Carthage High School: 15 grants totaling $67,957.90
Each campus received a Charles C. Matthews Foundation Campus Grant ranging from $9,000 to $10,000 to support wide-reaching instructional initiatives.
To learn more about the Carthage ISD Education Foundation or to support future grants, visit www.carthageisd.org.