The Duncanville ISD Education Foundation donated $100,000 to the school district today. The funds will help provide technology for the students as they return to their traditional classrooms Oct. 19. The need for student technology, such as iPads, hotspots, laptops and Chromebooks, continues to be a high priority for the school district.
Dr. Mike Miner, president of the Education Foundation board, said, “Our presence here is an affirmation of our support for the school district, Dr. Smith, administrators, teachers, staff but mainly for the students. We support them all.”
Today’s donation also launches a larger fundraising campaign for the Education Foundation. They hope to involve community members, local businesses, and corporate partners in supporting Duncanville ISD schools.
2007 Chrysler Crossfire Convertible Raffled
The giving campaign kicked off with a raffle to give away a 2007 Chrysler Crossfire convertible. The classic roadster is in great condition, with only 21,000 miles on it. The foundation is selling 500 raffle tickets priced at $100 each. The auction will be held on the foundation’s Facebook, live on Dec. 18 at 2 p.m.
Dr. Marc Smith, Duncanville ISD Superintendent, said, “There is nothing better than doing something that can have a positive impact in the life of another person. What you all have done, the commitment you have made – we appreciate that and don’t take it for granted.”
“I hope I can convey to you how awesome this is going to be for lives here in Duncanville. You are making a difference,” Dr. Smith said. “There are students at home right now trying to figure out how and when they’re going to have an opportunity to do their classwork because they don’t have a computer. What you have done today, it’s a game changer. You’ve made a difference. You’ve closed that gap tremendously by what you’ve done.”
Duncanville ISD AP students
Duncanville ISD distributed $6,000 in checks to 63 deserving AP students Oct. 14. The checks were distributed in a drive-by ceremony held at Duncanville High School that afternoon. The check amounts ranged from $100 to $300 per student, and rewarded the students for their performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams last May. The AP exams were in English, Language Arts and Reading, Math, Science and Computer Science.
In the above photo, AP student Daniela Pedraja is shown picking up her check, accompanied by her mother.
A grant from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) and Texas Instruments provided the funds for the students’ checks. NMSI and Texas Instruments together donated a total of $750,000 to Duncanville ISD. The checks provide monetary incentives to students who scored a 3 or higher on their AP exams.
“It is an exciting time, and the first time that our students have gotten these checks to recognize their hard work,” said Nneka Bernard, Duncanville ISD Director of Advanced Academics & Library Services.
This is Duncanville ISD’s first year of a three-year grant with NMSI. Teachers who increase AP scores from their students from year to year also receive monetary incentives from the partnership’s grants. Funds for increased training for AP teachers are also included, along with covering the cost of AP exams for the students.
