The PTSA Mini-grants program was allocated $8000 for the 2014-15 school year. Thirty applications for a total of $12, 012 were considered for funding, and twenty-eight grants totaling $8277.75 were awarded. Payment was issued for twenty-three grants for a total of $6242.93. Five applicants with grants representing $1559 either did not submit request for funds, did not need the funds after they were awarded, or did not submit sufficient information to support payment.

Ten of this year’s applications came from the combined sciences and funded $2,176.66 (26.3%) for either consumables (classroom/laboratory supplies and incentives) or durable equipment purchases (wall to wall white boards for computer science classroom and femur bone for anatomy/forensics). Three ESOL related grants ($1372.65, 16.6%) purchased METS literacy manipulatives, a video camera for Lights, Camera, Literacy! for ESOL, and foreign language dictionaries and equipment to support ESOL science students. Six clubs were awarded $1006.84 (12.2%) for competition registration, a new buzzer system, supplies and healthy food/snacks. World languages submitted two applications and were awarded $740 (8.9%) for headphones and Class Acts dance performance. Three applications from administrative staff funded $635 (7.7%) for SIOP materials, welcome packets for new students, and pizza for the Academic Support Incentive Program.  Two math grants totaling $600 (7.2%) were awarded to support the graphing calculator rental program and Algebra city math intervention program. Social Studies, English and PE each submitted one application and were awarded funds towards perception and inversion goggles for AP Psych, a video camera to support the new Lights, Camera Literacy program, and volleyballs for general PE.

Four grants were awarded for projects whose applications were among the missing seventeen not considered for funding during the 2013-14 cycle.

The following changes to the Mini-grants process were implemented this year:

• An on-line application process was initiated.
• Applicants must be PTSA members.
• A five-person panel reviewed and evaluated each application, and award determinations were made via committee consensus.
• Application deadline was moved up to December and award announcements were made in February.

The PTSA Mini-grants program will continue to build on the successes of the past and continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the Blair school community.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Krimm, Mini-grants Chair
September 19, 2015