The Education Department has awarded $7 million in grants for demonstration projects under the recently restructured Follow Through compensatory-education program.
In the first competition for the grants in 20 years, 63 school districts and education agencies in 34 states and Puerto Rico received grants ranging from $50,000 to $193,000 to provide comprehensive services to children of low-income families enrolled in kindergarten through 3rd grade.
The projects build on the strategies used in Head Start and similar preschool programs, combining remedial education, health care, counseling, food services, and parental involvement in an effort to assure a child’s academic success.
Until this year’s competition, the program had had only one set of grantees since it began in 1967. The Congress last year approved the new competition for the grants and regulations were updated for the program.
Of the new awards, 44 went to existing programs and 19 went to new participants. They include:
Alabama: Macon County Board of Education, Tuskegee, $193,330. Arizona: Indian Oasis-Baboquivari Unified School District, Sells, $72,000; Tucson Unified School District, $120,254; University of Arizona, Tucson, $185,749. Arkansas: Flippin Public Schools, $106,840. California: Lindsay Unified School District, $67,378; Tulare City School District, $93,527. Colorado: Boulder Valley Public Schools, $74,791; University of Colorado, Boulder, $128,510. Connecticut: Bridgeport Board of Education, $85,443. Florida: Okaloosa County Board of Education, Fort Walton Beach, $70,045. Georgia: Atlanta Public Schools, $222,138; University of Georgia, Athens, $125,192. Hawaii: Hawaii Department of Education, Honolulu, $162,775. Idaho: Pocatello School District, $74,292. Illinois: Chicago Board of Education, Fuller Elementary, $77,002 and Terrell Elementary, $78,787; Chicago Heights Public Schools, $71,261; Elgin Public Schools, $78,787; Harvey School District #147, $73,831; Illinois Renewal Institute Inc., Palatine, $165,715; Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, $78,433; Rockford Public Schools, $72,805; Waukegan Public Schools, $98,566. Indiana: Indianapolis Public Schools, $77,960; Vincennes Community School Corporation, $53,454. Iowa: South Tama County Community School District, $121,953; Waterloo School District, $111,673. Kansas: University of Kansas, Lawrence, $174,309. Kentucky: Owsley County Board of Education, Boonesville, $122,939; Pike County Board of Education, Pikesville, $113,717; Louisiana: Orleans Parish School District, $79,200. Massachusetts: Fall River Public Schools, $104,115. Michigan: Flint Board of Education, $119,500; High/ Scope Educational Research Foundation, Ypsilanti, $157,186. Minnesota: Montevideo Independent School District, $85,000. Mississippi: Gulfport School District, $72,322; Leflore County School District, Greenwood, $82,922. Montana: Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Lame Deer, $158,337. New Jersey: Camden Board of Education, $116,373; Trenton Board of Education, $92,539. New Mexico: Las Vegas City Schools, $106,815. New York: Bank Street College of Education, New York City, $135,760; City School District #18, Brooklyn, $167,299; Fordham University, New York City, $117,771; New York City Board of Education, P.S. 243, Brooklyn, $111,344 and P.S. 33, New York City, $111,071; Plattsburgh City School District, $91,980. North Carolina. Goldsboro City Schools, $232,060. Ohio: Dayton Public Schools, $121,996. Oregon: University of Oregon, Eugene, $111,804. Pennsylvania: Temple University, Philadelphia, $177,323. South Carolina: McCormick School District, $75,000. Tennessee: Jefferson County Schools, Dandridge, $44,518; University of Tennessee, Knoxville, $133,057. Texas: Benavides Independent School District, $68,754; San Diego Independent School District, $71,330; Southwest Regional Educational Development Laboratory, Austin, $158,455. Virginia: Richmond Public Schools, $80,290. Washington: Seattle Public Schools, $89,518; Washington Research Institute, Seattle, $149,340. West Virginia: Randolph County School District, Elkins, $84,990. Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico Department of Education, $269,791.