Annual Education Report 2006-2007 > Grants enhance the curriculum in 2006-2007

The Souderton Area School District received funding for the 2006-2007 school year through a variety of federal, state and local grants, including competitive and entitlement grants. Dr. John M. Eells, district supervisor of special services, was again responsible for submitting appropriate applications and proposals for grants, and for the administration, coordination and monitoring of the programs funded through grants and other awards.

These grant funds allow the district to provide an assortment of programs and services for students and their families, including academic support services in language arts and mathematics, safe schools initiatives, family consultation and support, assistance to students whose dominant language is not English, projects for special needs students, and programs concerned with wellness and nutrition.

The school district’s 2005-2006 Consolidated Federal Programs Application was originally approved on August 23, 2006.

The federal programs included in the Consolidated Application are:

• Title I, Improving Basic Programs .................. $317,445
• Title I, Delinquent ............................................ $65,939
• Title II (Part A), Improving Teacher Quality ..... $159,373
• Title V, Innovative Education ............................... $6,353
• Safe and Drug Free Schools & Communities ........ $17,030*

*These federal funds are used to contract with the Children’s Aid Society/Helpline Services organization to provide family and student consultant and Student Assistance Program services and are not part of the Consolidated Federal Programs application.

The total allocation for these federal programs in 2006- 2007 was $566,140.

Other grants received for the 2006-2007 school year include:
IDEA (Individuals With Disabilities Act) ......... $1,058,965
Title I Academic Achievement Awards.................. $8,304
(EMC, Franconia, West Broad, Oak Ridge Elementary Schools)
North Penn Community Health Foundation .......... $1,000
(Indian Valley Middle School)
Montgomery Co. Intermediate Unit Foundation.... $2,567
(E M Crouthamel Elementary School)
Montgomery Co. Intermediate Unit Foundation.... $1,951
(Oak Ridge Elementary School)
Exxon/Mobile Educational Alliance Grant ............... $500
(Oak Ridge Elementary School)
Dual Enrollment Grant ........................................ $4,845
PA Accountability Block Grant ......................... $441,521
PA Department of Community/
Economic Development ..................................... $16,000
(Souderton Area High School)
BAE Systems ...................................................... $5,000
(Souderton Area High School)
E-Rate Reimbursement ..................................... $80,256

In 2006-2007, the Souderton Area School District also received $40,343 in federal funding through the Title III program for Limited English Proficient students. The district was once again part of a consortium with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and 13 other school districts in Montgomery County that have combined their Title III grants for the school year: the total amount received is approximately $230,000. These funds are being used for professional development activities throughout the year (consortium districts are able to send staff members free of charge, including the cost of substitutes); the development of an ESL Teacher Resource Center; and, translation services.

The school district’s Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities grant for 2006-2007 was $17,030. These funds are used to contract with the Children’s Aid Society/ Helpline Services organization to provide family and student consultant services, including short-term counseling and referral to outside agencies for more comprehensive assessment and treatment. These services are specifically aligned with the district’s elementary Student Assistance Program in the seven elementary schools, based on the state’s model for such programs.

The Souderton Area School District also continues to provide an Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Program, and the district’s grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education supports those programs at four private provider locations: Lakeside School/Vantage, Perkiomen Valley Academy, New Life Youth and Family Services, and Buxmont Academy. The total amount received for the four locations is approximately $52,326.

Locally, the Souderton Area Education Foundation continued to support projects developed by teachers and other school staff members through Mini-Grants and Block Grants. In the spring of 2007 the Souderton Area Education Foundation awarded a total of $13,461 to teachers and schools in the district. These funds were used to implement projects and activities in a variety of areas and subjects, including, science, social studies, the arts, and technology.

The total grants and awards received by the school district in 2006-2007 was $2,279,718.