That’s why the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Education Subcommittee created the Classroom Enhancement Grant, which will provide as much as $300 for items for teachers in the Hamilton City School District.
Multiple surveys show that 94% of teachers nationwide spend their money on classroom necessities, according to the National Education Association. This is because students often don’t have the things they need.
In December 2023, after the first year of the Hamilton Community Foundation’s grant, Bob Long, then vice chair of the foundation and its current president, said the goal was to earmark between $9,000 and $10,000 in its first year.
In the fund’s first year, the community foundation was overwhelmed with requests. It even increased the projected funding to $14,000, and it still wasn’t enough. The foundation received 110 teacher requests and could only fund 55 grants.
Last year, there were 151 requests, but the funds earmarked were not enough. One hundred thirty-nine requests could be funded, and $33,875 was distributed.
Entering the third year, foundation officials believe even more teachers will be applying, given the response of the first two years. The goal is to build the fund to $50,000, according to the foundation, which includes a projected buffer to assist in creating long-term sustainability, and not turn any teacher away.
In a promotional video on the fund, Kathleen Klink, a foundation’s Education Subcommittee member, said, “We have lots of new teachers who don’t have anything so they have to go out and buy all this stuff. We have teachers who are switching from one grade level to another, and we have teachers who oftentimes will become certified in another area, so they switch, too.
The former Hamilton City Council member and one-time Lakota Superintendent said the teachers’ mindset is: “If I’m going to have the best, most interesting classroom, it’s got to be right. And what do I do, I go shopping.”
Linden Elementary 4th grade math and science teacher Kelly Wright said she spends “hundreds of dollars” on her classroom.
“I’ve never received any outside assistance there, and this (grant) is nice,” she said in the video. “I am a mom, I support a family, and that was really helpful.”
Applications for the third year are being accepted, as are donations to the HCF’s Mini Grants 4 Teachers fund through the Hamilton Community Foundation’s website, www.hamiltonfoundation.org. The application for the Classroom Enhancement Grant is online at tinyurl.com/CEGrant2025.
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