Springfield Elementary School and Pepperhill Elementary School, along with Burke High School, and R.B. Stall High School were each awarded a $5,000 grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. A total of 300 schools from 44 states received a grant. No more than four schools per district received a grant; Charleston County School District (CCSD) is one of the few districts with four grant awards.
As a former school librarian, Laura Bush knows that library resources are often less prioritized for funding. The Laura Bush Foundation provides funding to schools with the greatest needs to focus on their library collection. The foundation has provided over $19.5 million to 3,300 schools in the last 20 years.
“I am thrilled that children will soon have access to an updated library collection,” said Laura Bush when announcing this year’s grant awards. “Students across the country turn to books to discover the world around them, and we know that opening a new book opens the door to new opportunities and learning.”
Burke High School Librarian David Matthews said the grant funds will be used to update the school’s book collection to reflect the school’s diverse population and community.
“The general fiction books and non-fiction books purchased will modernize our collection and also reflect the school’s population,” said Matthews. “We will purchase books that include global views and multiple perspectives. These books will celebrate the diversity of our community.”
Grant money for Springfield Elementary’s Librarian Regina Stephens will be spent on similar updates for the school’s library collection.
“We will be increasing the number of books that reflect our changing student population,” said Stephens. “Receiving the grant will also aid the school in increasing the book-to-student ratio.”
R.B. Stall High School Librarian Elizabeth Tonelli discussed how the funds will help encourage students to read more.
“Our students requested more printed books,” said Tonelli. “Providing the students with the format they prefer is clearly important to our unique student population.”
Grant applications for the 2023-2024 school year will be open in late 2022. Visit www.BushCenter.org to learn more.
To learn more about the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries, visit www.BushCenter.org. For more information on these grants and CCSD schools that have previously been awarded this grant, contact the Office of Communications at (843) 937-6303.
