Commonwealth Regional Council (CRC) Community Development Planner Todd Fortune wrote a memorandum to the council with updates regarding grants sought for school systems throughout the CRC’s five member counties.

In Buckingham, Fortune cited he’d passed information to Buckingham County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cecil Snead regarding a grant program from the ASM Materials Education Foundation, the charitable arm of ASM International, formerly the American Society for Metals, to fund programs that provide hands-on, curriculum based K-12 projects that involve student observation, communications, mathematics and science skills to enhance student awareness of the materials around them.

“Applications are due by May 25, 2018. I notified Dr. Snead that the next round of funding for the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education is set to open on Dec. 18 and run through Feb. 9,” Fortune cited in the memorandum. “The program can fund stem materials and improvements to school grounds, among other things.”

The memorandum also cited a number of grants sought out for Prince Edward County Middle School, which he communicated to Tammy Hurt, who is currently serving as the school’s principal.

“It looks to me like with our additional approach to the school with grant-writing services, it looks to me like they’re using the CRC as a grant-finding service and not a lot of grant writing services,” said CRC Treasurer and Prince Edward County Buffalo District Supervisor C.R. “Bob” Timmons Jr.

“My contact there, Ms. Hurt, she is basically taking (care of) a lot of the grant writing on her own,” Fortune said.

Timmons said he’d communicate with Prince Edward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Johnson regarding fees for grant writing if membership fees increase, which leaves grant-writing services free for membership counties with the caveat that the CRC is entitled to funding for grant administration. All five member counties must approve the fee increase before grant-writing services are provided free of charge.