A group of education-minded community members in Madison County wants to give teachers an extra boost in the classroom that the county budget can't afford.
"This is just an awesome community. Madison County is full of generous people who really are involved and really care," said Madison County Education Foundation Co-Founder Lisa Warren.
Now there's a group hoping to tap into that generosity for the sake of students in Madison County.
Madison County Education Foundation Treasurer Bill Hinks explained, "One third of our kids do not graduate on time, high school kids. And that kind of concerns me."
The new education foundation in Madison is starting with mini-grants for teachers going above and beyond in the classroom. But the foundation's not stopping there.
"It's unlimited what you can do for the schools. It's just incredible what you see other education foundations have been able to do," added Kathie O'Conner, Madison County Education Foundation's president.
Like the Public Education Fund for Charlottesville and Albemarle County, the group has started science and math programs and committed itself to connecting senior volunteers with students for after-school activities. And Greene County's Education Foundation dishes out thousands of dollars in scholarships.
The organization in Madison plans to grow as it receives more grants and community support.
"We are operating on a shoe-string," said O'Conner, "We are a start-up organization and we are really right now just really counting on whatever we can get from the community."
But members are confident they will fill a void that county, state and federal dollars no longer cover.
"I've seen what it takes in a small school system to integrate with the community and really bring all of the resources to bear," continued Warren.
The Madison Education Foundation hopes its mini-grants, in amounts of $500 and $1,000 will allow teachers to pursue special projects that they would usually have to pay for out of pocket.
