Educational Foundation Sees Rise in Grant Applications

The Three Village Educational Foundation has seen a rise in the number of applicants for its annual mini-grants, which both the foundation and the district have attributed to one of the toughest budget seasons in recent memory.

Applications are up 25 percent since last year, continuing an upward trend since at least as far back as 2009. The previous year, the foundation saw an increase of seven percent.

"It’s absolutely budget related," said Karen Foda, who along with Barbara Konczynin co-chairs the foundation's mini-grant committee. "Things that they were able to give to the classrooms before, they couldn’t. ... We can give something that the school or even the PTA can’t."

The foundation's mini-grants consist of allotments of up to $500 for purchasing specific tools, supplies, or other things not included in the general school budget that teachers feel are needed for their students. Three Village educators complete an application process that includes itemizing the things they are asking for, and an agreement to report back to the foundation about how the grant was utilized in the classroom.

Jeff Carlson, assistant superintendent for business services, agreed with Foda's assessment.

"No doubt it's budget related," he said. "A lot of times those extra projects that are nice to have are the first to go."

This year, Foda said, the foundation saw a spike in the number of technology-related applications.

"Technology is changing," she said. "The needs are a little bit different. We have kids with more special needs. They want to listen to audio books instead of reading a book. They want to use the iPad app. They want to Skype."

Recent awards have included the purchasing of 10 PolyVision Eno Mini Slates, which are similar to Apple's iPad, for the Ward Melville science department. According to the grant application, the donation benefited 1782 students out of the 1888 enrolled in a science class in the 2010-11 school year.

The foundation raises the bulk of its grant money at its annual cocktail party each year. , held in October at the Three Village Inn, raised about $16,000 – the highest amount in the foundation's nine-year history. The recipients are notified in August and formally announced during the superintendent's conference day at the start of each school year.

Carlson said the Three Village Educational Foundation does a good job supplementing the school budget.

The Board of Education, which has to vote on whether to accept each mini-grant donation, has never turned one down. And the role of the foundation may become even more important as the budget process gets even tougher.

"It will probably get much worse," Carlson said, "especially with the ."

Number of Applications & Grants Provided in Recent Years

*To be finalized via the foundation's executive board vote in July.