Concord Community Schools receives multi-million dollar grant from IDOE

ELKHART, Ind. -- Concord Community Schools announced the district is the recipient of a multi-million dollar grant from the Indiana Department of Education to support students, staff and families.

The grant, known as the Next Generation School Improvement Grant, is awarded by the IDOE and will provide up to $300,000 per eligible school in planning funds over the next year, and up to $3 million per eligible school in grant funds over the following three years.

Officials say the exact amount still needs to be determined.

“These funds will directly impact Concord High School and Concord South Side Elementary School based on their eligibility for the Next Generation SIG program but will indirectly impact all seven of our schools in one way or another,” Concord Community Schools Superintendent Dan Funston said. “This grant is a huge win for our students and their families, as well as the greater Concord community.”

IDOE first launched the Next Gen SIG program in the 2021-2022 school year.

Officials say this was a highly competitive grant, with 48 applicants across the state.

Concord's grant application was given a 97 percent rubric rating, which officials say was the highest in the state for this year’s cohort.

“We are fortunate to have incredible teachers and support staff at all of our schools who are invested in our kids. It is their commitment that makes our school district a place where such opportunities are possible,” Funston said. “This grant will help us build on our proven successes, expanding and innovating within our current programs to further enhance our students' future success.”

Officials say the grant funds will go towards several key objectives, including Improving student achievement outcomes, exploring high-quality early childhood programming, expanding college and career advising for students, and growing the educational attainment of students and graduates through meaningful work-based learning experiences, like modern youth apprenticeships that lead to credentials and college credit.

Concord officials say over the next year they will engage in a comprehensive planning process to ensure the district maximizes the impact of the grant.

The district's key objectives also closely align with the state’s proposed changes to graduation requirements, according to Concord officials.