Grant Information & Eligibility
In order to carry out its mission -- “To enhance the basic support of the educational programs and goals of the McPherson Unified School District for the benefit of students” -- the McPherson Education Foundation offers grants each year to USD 418 educators. Pooling funds given by individual citizens and organizations, and following endowment guidelines, the Foundation offers grants in 4 categories -- Grants to Teachers; Grants for Experts; School Grants; and Professional Growth and Development Grants. These awards provide funds for projects above and beyond the district’s operating budget when funds from other sources are unavailable.
Grants will be awarded for projects that support the school improvement efforts of the district and for projects that emphasize sound educational practices used to further student achievement. Grants will not be awarded for materials or programs that replace existing materials for district-adopted programs.
Grants will be awarded for projects that support the school improvement efforts of the district and for projects that emphasize sound educational practices used to further student achievement. Grants will not be awarded for materials or programs that replace existing materials for district-adopted programs.
The Board of Trustees of the Foundation will be in charge of application review and recommendation of funding. All approved grants will then be approved at the next Board of Education meeting. Projects will be looked upon favorably if they reflect the outcomes and goals of McPherson USD 418 and if they are written for the benefit of students. Grants that follow the stated criteria and grant-writing protocol will receive priority in the selection process. To be eligible for a grant, educators must meet the following criteria:
- Be employed by McPherson USD 418;
- Secure their administrator’s approval for the grant project; receive the approval from the Director of Instruction for professional growth & development grants
- Submit an application, responding to all areas on each required form;
- Agree to cooperate with news media for publicity about grant selection and progress of projects;
- Agree to share methods and results of the project with colleagues and with Education Foundation board members and/or Board of Education;
- Agree to provide a financial accounting and a written, visual, and/or oral report to the Foundation Board at the conclusion of the project.
Grants will be awarded four times each year. The application deadlines are as follows: September 15, November 15, January 15, March 15. Any applications received after the deadline will be reviewed during the next application review cycle. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application. Recipients will be announced following the next Board of Education meeting. If approved, the recipient will receive instructions regarding the expenditure of funds. Funds must be spent by June 30 of the grant year, unless specified in the grant application.