BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
MIDDLETOWN -- Madison and Edgewood high schools each will receive a $25,000 grant from the Middletown Community Foundation (MCF) to help pay for television links to Miami University and other seminar and programming sources.
The facilities are called Distance Learning Centers at the high schools, which are two of 10 organizations in the MCF service area to share grants totaling $126,425 for the foundation's second quarter. The organization received requests totaling $317,208. "The high quality of the projects proposed for funding has made the job of the distribution committee and the board trustees very difficult.
"Obviously, there are many fine projects that go unfunded each quarter," said Norman Hayes, the foundation's executive director.
"It's a little bit unusual to award this much money. It's about $50,000 more than usual," Mr. Hayes said. By upgrading technology, faculty and students at the two schools will be able use a TV hookup for educational programs not otherwise available.
The MCF set aside an additional $25,000 to be released to Bishop Fenwick, Middletown or Lemon-Monroe. The money will be given to whichever high school is ready for the technology next. The other two will be funded at a later date.
Children in five classrooms at Middletown's Taft Elementary School will also get amplification sound systems.
Noise from traffic along South Verity Parkway has made it difficult for teachers to be heard in classrooms facing the thoroughfare. The $4,425 cost to install the systems will be funded by the MCF. Other projects receiving funding are:
$31,000 to the Kids Educational Enrichment Program (KEEP) to be used as matching funds for a $365,000 grant from the Ohio Hunger Task Force. Run by the Middletown - Monroe Schools' Community Education Department, the program provides after-school and all-day summer - school holiday child care to low-income families.
$5,000 to Lemon-Monroe High School's art department to pay for a pug mill to reuse scrap clay in the ceramics department, which has increased its offerings from two sections to 12. About 6,000 pounds of clay are used each year.
$5,000 to Lemon-Monroe High School for the purchase of orchestra costumes and rain gear for the band. The money will be released once the Booster Club has raised $10,000 toward the purchase.
$3,000 for Junior Achievement classroom materials to show children in kindergarten through grade 6 the relevance of education in the workplace.
$1,000 to repair flooring in the Community Room that is used by Franklin-area organizations at the First United Methodist Church.
$2,000 to Mid-Miami Health Care Foundation to fund education about diabetes in schools, businesses and senior citizen centers.
