Franklin foundation teams with schools for tech solutions

The Franklin Education Foundation Inc. last week presented to the Franklin County school testing and technology department a wealth of technology funded by a state grant along with local donations.

The presentation on April 16 will enable the schools to fund 50 iPads and folio cases for grades pre-kindergarten and first for testing and classroom programs, 50 headphones for testing accommodations, 30 headphones with microphones for testing and classroom programs, 48 Texas Instruments TI-30Xa calculators for grades seven and eight, and Algebra 1, and Geometry classes; and 30 Casio graphing calculators for SAT/ACT to help students improve their test scores. 

These iPads, calculators and headphones, which cost $22,900, were purchased with a State District Education Foundation matching program grant funded by a Florida Legislature appropriation to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. The consortium distributes the funds based on approved applications submitted by local education foundations, with the maximum grant amount based on the school district’s student population. 

Of the local match funding, $4,000 came from a Rotary District matching grant from the Apalachicola Bay Rotary Club, which has given the Franklin Education Foundation $17,500 over the last three years, along with $1,000 given to graduating seniors every year. Rotary’s $2,000 gift of local funds generated an additional $6,000 from sources outside of Franklin County. 

“One of the goals of our foundation is to take advantage of every opportunity to bring funds from outside of our county to support our students and school district,” said Cliff Butler, Franklin County Education Foundation executive director and Rotary Club president.

Over the last six school years the Franklin Education Foundation raised $71,500 in local contributions to receive an equivalent amount in state matching funds, enabling the foundation to provide over $143,000 to support Franklin County students and schools with needed supplies not funded from the district. 

“We have also received seven competitive grants totaling over $45,000. In addition to three ATT STEM grants totaling $16,000, a $4,000 Lottery Distance Learning grant, a $4,000 Lottery Mini grant, most importantly we received a $19,000 two-year Deluca Foundation Healthcare grant that rebuilt Franklin County School Healthcare Academy,” said Butler.

In addition to the $71,500 contributed to meet matching funds requirements, the foundation has received an additional $161,000 in donations and contributions from individuals, businesses, corporations, non-profit organizations, and foundations to fund local programs.

Butler said the Foundation is looking forward to its annual education banquet on Tuesday, May 13 to recognize and honor educators and staff. “Solicitation of sponsorships for our education banquet, kicks off our annual general fundraising campaign to fund next year’s budget for operations and ongoing projects,” he said.

This year the Franklin County School is starting a new aviation Career Training Education (CTE) program in conjunction with area partners where the students will build an airplane over a two-year period working with Tango Flight, which supervises the plan’s construction and sells the plan upon completion to fund the construction of the next plane, said David Hughes, CTE coordinator

While the instruction is funded through established education funding channels, the startup costs of purchasing the materials and equipment and Tango Flight supervision of the plane’s construction will cost about $125,000. Hughes has secured several significant contribution commitments, and the Foundation will be initiating a targeted fundraising campaign to help fund the Tango Flight project, the largest project the Foundation has undertaken.