The Petal Education Foundation had another successful year in 2019, raising $19,570.28 through its Friends of the Foundation campaign and adding $13,000 to its Teacher Mini Grant Award total, among several other benchmarks.
Leahne Lightsey, executive director of the foundation, took the opportunity during last week’s meeting of the Petal School District Board of Trustees to give board members an update on the foundation’s accomplishments, thanking officials from departments throughout the school district for making the campaign possible.
“Hats off to Petal Upper Elementary School, Petal High School, central office, the Coleman Center, Child Nutrition, Alternative School and the police department for coming in at 100 percent employee participation,” Lightsey said. “Overall, the school district had 77 percent participation. I think these figures prove that the majority of our workforce stands in approval of the foundation and its work.”
With the $13,000 added to the mini grant total, a total of $82,000 has been awarded since 2004 to teachers around the district for their innovative teaching ideas. In addition, the foundation awarded $1,300 to the teachers of the year and the district teacher of the year, as well as $500 to the administrator of the year.
After January, the foundation will have awarded a total of $20,700 to teachers and administrators of the year.
“These teachers are all instrumental in the molding and shaping of students’ lives,” Lightsey said.
Lightsey also gave a brief rundown of the Ambassador Program, in which high school Ambassador Leaders have amassed more than 7,200 community service hours during the last five years. Last weekend, several Ambassadors volunteered at the PJs & Pancakes Christmas Party, held by Kid’s Hub Advocacy Center.
The Ambassadors have selected several other projects this year, including Water Bottle Fountains, Kid’s Hub, the Senior Senior Prom at Bedford Care, Southern Pines Animal Shelter and the ongoing Petal High School Courtyard.
“Our Petal citizens and volunteers are forever our greatest gift,” Lightsey said. “Like a snowflake, each is unique and brings their special gift to our mission.
“One hundred forty-eight unduplicated volunteers have helped to enhance education in the Petal School District through the raising of private funds.”
The Petal Education Foundation also has begun to raise funds for the Bridge Program, in which Petal High School juniors and seniors take classes at Pearl River Community College with the aim of graduating with a diploma from Petal and an associate’s degree from PRCC. The foundation presently has amassed donations of $1,500 for the program, along with a promise of $10,000 to award scholarships to students with financial needs who wish to participate in the program.
The foundation will continue its support of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a book-gifting program that mails free books to children from birth to age 5.
“We are very thankful that the Pre-K tax credit takes care of the bills for the 735 children who receive free books monthly in their mailbox,” Lightsey said. “I think it is no mystery why, after 25 years of excellent childhood support by the Petal School District, that the district is Mississippi’s No. 1 school district.”
Upcoming events include “Class with Coach,” a three-hour lecture by Coach Si Thompson of Petal High School, and Laughter and Lagniappe, which last year raised $23,000.
The Petal Education Foundation was founded in 1987 with the mission of enhancing the quality of education in the Petal School District by providing private funding to the public schools. To date, the foundation has awarded more than 503 scholarships totaling almost $331,840.
