Owensboro Independent Schools Foundation For Excellence

New Owensboro Alumni Association

The Foundation For Excellence is proud to announce the Owensboro Alumni Association platform is up and running. We are now beginning the phase of reaching our alumni to register, and your help would be much appreciated.

Please feel free to share this information via your own social media accounts and register if you are an Owensboro Public Schools alumni. Thank you!

The Foundation for Excellence Owensboro Independent Schools Awards $27,296 in Mini-Grants to OPS Schools for 2023-2024 Owensboro Public Schools employees donated $21,522 to the Foundation for Excellence during the scho...

The Foundation for Excellence Owensboro Independent Schools
Awarded $29,532 in Grants to OPS Schools for 2022-2023

OPS employees donated $18,631 to the Foundation during school year 2021-2022. This includes contributions from teachers, aides, administrators, and School Board members, as well as many cafeteria, maintenance, and office employees – most from regular payroll deductions. The OPS district has a 24% employee participation in Foundation contributions which is a very high rate for K-12 schools according to the National School Foundation Association. This shows the depth of caring from our employees and the needs involved. At least that amount is given back each year in the form of grants to the OPS schools.

Presentation of the grants was made to the teachers by the Foundation Board members at OPS Staff Opening Day Celebration on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. The recipients of the grants for school year 2022-23 are as follows:

• Cravens Elementary School - $1,626 for “Novel Effect” reading app license and speakers for 1st grade
- Estes Elementary School - $550 for Lego Robotics software and competition fees
• Foust Elementary School - $358 for Kindergarten Touch & Read Phonics set
• Foust Elementary School - $1,500 for Virtual Reality headsets and equipment
• Foust Elementary School - $3,021 for C-Pens Independent Reading Support
• Newton Parrish Elementary School – $1,500 for Engaged Learning in Reading for 3rd grade
• Newton Parrish Elementary School – $1,650 for Interactive TV for Special Ed Resource Room
• Sutton Elementary School - $1,236 for Eureka Math Manipulatives Kits for 1st grade
• Sutton Elementary School - $ 1,996 for “Putting Math into Kids’ Hands” kits for Kindergarten
• Owensboro Innovation Middle School - $600 for 3D pens for STEAM subjects in art
• Owensboro Innovation Middle School - $3,500 for Virtual Reality headsets and equipment for interactive science simulations
• Owensboro Innovation Middle School - $1,055 for Smart Home Kits for students to learn to assembly and code a smart home
• Owensboro High School - $1,250 for students’ trip to the musical Hamilton in St. Louis in 2023
• Owensboro High School - $192 for Electronic circuits kits for special ed. math
• Owensboro High School - $800 for a new pottery wheel for visual arts
• Owensboro High School - $500 for incentives for credit recovery courses
• Owensboro High School - $1,000 for work experience expenses for special ed.
• Owensboro Innovation Academy - $3,000 for GPS Coding for VEX Robotics competitions
• Owensboro Innovation Academy - $2,698 for Padcaster Studio & iPad to create audio and video recordings
• Owensboro Public Schools District - $500 for printing costs for shorts story collections
• Owensboro Public Schools District - $1,000 for OPS Wellness/Mental Health Nights expenses

21 Grants for a Total of $29,532

Thank you to all our amazing Owensboro Public Schools teachers and educators during this special appreciation week! You’re the best!

Many thanks to all for your support of the Owensboro Public Schools and its Foundation in 2021. Happy 2022!

From the Owensboro Public Schools district - What we can do to help after speaking with neighboring school districts affected by the tornadoes….

The Foundation for Excellence Owensboro Independent Schools
Awards $22,127 in Mini-Grants to OPS Schools for 2021-2022

OPS employees donated $17,193 to the Foundation during school year 2020-2021. This includes contributions from teachers, aides, administrators, and School Board members, as well as many cafeteria, maintenance, and office employees – most from regular payroll deductions. The Foundation Board of Trustees voted on May 20, 2021 to give back that amount and more in the form of grants to OPS schools. The OPS district has a 20% employee participation in Foundation contributions which is a very high rate for K-12 schools according to the National School Foundation Association. This shows the depth of caring from our employees and the needs involved even during a pandemic.

Presentation of the mini-grants were made to the teachers at a Presentation Tour by the Foundation Board members, Char Rhoads, Michael Johnson, Dr. Matthew Constant, Andy Johnson, Elizabeth Griffith, Janet Suwanski, and Fine Arts Coordinator Tom Stites at the various schools on September 10, 2021. The recipients of the mini-grants for school year 2021-22 are pictured as follows:

So glad to have everyone safely back in-person!

Congratulations to the Class of 2021 from The Foundation for Excellence Owensboro Independent Schools! The Foundation was proud to provide t-shirts to all graduating seniors at Owensboro High School, Owensboro Innovation Academy, and Emerson Academy to celebrate their accomplishments and their unusual year.