Lawton Public School Foundation kicks off fundraising year

The Lawton Public School Foundation kicked off another fundraising year with its annual community breakfast, raising nearly $30,000 for Lawton Public Schools students and teachers.

More than 800 educators and community members filled the parking lots surrounding Golden Corral to support the Foundation, along with over 70 sponsorships from individuals, families, businesses and organizations.

“I want to tell our community thanks for coming out and supporting our students and teachers,” LPSF Executive Director Lisa Carson said. “To me, when you give up your time … it says a lot whether you’re an individual who buys a ticket or a company who brings their employees. It says a lot when you’re willing to take the time and invest in something that matters in our community.”

The Foundation provides grants directly to classrooms each year, along with district technology, extracurricular activities and scholarships for students and teachers. Past funded projects include new multimedia programs, gardens, chicken coops, and STEM and robotics programs for elementary. Lawton Public School Foundation also is one of the primary sponsors for bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Lawton, allowing children from birth to age 5 to get free books mailed directly to them.

Applications for this year’s Foundation grants are open. LPS teachers can apply for classroom grants until Sept. 30 on the Foundation’s website. Carson said one recent project involving $5,000 worth of organs for upper-level science classes to dissect brought plenty of positive responses.

“The teachers that wrote that grant told me they had parents call, saying their kids were telling them this was the most fun class they’ve ever taken,” Carson said. “Well, that’s why — it was hands-on. They weren’t just reading about it, they got to do it. A school budget won’t always have that kind of money, and that’s where the Foundation comes in. If the teacher can dream the dream and align those creative lessons with state standards, the Foundation can step in and help with the support of our fundraisers and pillars.”

The Foundation is a separate entity from the school district. Carson said other than her position, the Foundation has 21 volunteers from the community on its board of directors whose goal is to provide for teachers’ needs “simply because they want the best for the community.”

“It’s important we are a separate entity and we work to meet the goals Lawton Public Schools puts before us,” Carson said. “It’s important for everyone to know the Lawton Public School Foundation works with individual teachers. … Our teachers know what they need. We have to look at teachers as professionals just as we do any other — If a doctor says they need something, we believe them. Teachers need that same respect.”

To support or learn more about the Lawton Public School Foundation, visit www.lawtonpsf.org