Salmon River Joint School District # 243

"From Small Beginnings Come Great Things"

Empowering Parents Grant

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Empowering Parents Grants Application Program

The Idaho State Board of Education today announced that it intends to make Empowering Parents grant applications available to Idaho families in mid-September.

Created earlier this year by Governor Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature, Empowering Parents is a $50 million grant program modeled after the Strong Families, Strong Students (SFSS) program administered in 2020 by the State Board of Education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible parents or guardians will be able to use the grant funds to purchase education-related resources and services from the Empowering Parents online marketplace such as internet connectivity, computer hardware and software, instructional materials, tutoring services, etc.

“We know that there are thousands of students throughout our state who experienced learning loss as a result of the pandemic disruption,” Board President Kurt Liebich said. “The SFSS program made a real difference during the pandemic and we expect the Empowering Parents program will continue to provide needed resources to help address learning loss and get our students back on track.”

The program will provide $1,000 per student or a maximum of $3,000 per family. Students attending Idaho public or private schools, or students who are homeschooled are all eligible. The program applies to students in kindergarten through the 12thgrade.

Grants will be prioritized and awarded first to households with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) at or below $60,000 per year. Once the first phase of awards are made, the AGI limit will be expanded to households earning up to $75,000 per year. After that phase, if there are any grant funds still available, the program will be available to all other eligible students.

The State Board announced the updated timeline after the State Division of Purchasing reviewed four competitive proposals and selected Primary Class, Inc. to create the grant application portal and the online marketplace for the Empowering Parents program. Under the terms of the agreement, Primary Class will have the application portal ready for launch within 30 days, meaning parents and guardians should be able to begin applying for grants in mid-September.

A portal is available on the State Board of Education website where parents can sign up to receive updates on the program at:https://boardofed.idaho.gov/empowering-parents-program/

Committee Members Needed

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Dear Parents, Teachers, and Community Members,

The Salmon River Joint School District is forming a book review committee to follow the procedures outlined in District Policy 2510P Selection Of Library Materials. According to the policy, the committee shall consist of a building principal, librarian, a teacher from each building, a parent with a child registered at the elementary school, a parent with a child registered at the middle/secondary school, and a community member. The members of the committee will be provided with the information and materials needed to make an informed decision. The committee will then have 20 school business days to review the concern and report the decision to the grievant. 

In addition, the district will be establishing a curriculum committee to review curriculum pre-purchase. We will have a similar need for parents and a community member. 

If you are interested in being a member of either of these committees, please contact Trish Simonson by email simonsont@jsd243.org or phone 208-630-6027. 

Sincerely,

Superintendent Trisha Simonson