Public Education Trust, Inc.
Enrichment, Encouragement, Recognition and Reward – these are a few of the ways that the Douglas County Public Education Trust Fund, Inc. (PET) supports the students, staff and schools of the Douglas County School System. PET was formed in 1993 and is celebrating 19 years of service. With the support of individuals, corporate and community organizations, the foundation has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years in grants and scholarships to assist students, teachers and programs not already funded by local, state and federal dollars.
PET’s mission is to generate, monitor and dispense funds; to provide financial support to programs for enrichment; and to encourage, recognize and reward excellence in the students and staff of the Douglas County School System. Funds come from a variety of sources including personal and business donations, honorariums and memorial gifts, endowments, grants, and fund raising events.
During the 2011-2012 school year PET awarded $8,800.00 in scholarships and $11,100.52 in classroom initiative mini-grants to teachers. All Douglas County Teachers of the Year also received financial recognition from PET.
A major benefactor stepped forward during the 2006-2007 school year and has continued to partner with PET and offer scholarships for high school students planning to pursue post-secondary education. The Billie Yancey Memorial Scholarship was established in honor of the late Ms. Yancey by her family. The endowment funds a scholarship for a student from each high school in Douglas County. Scholarship recipients for 2011-2012 received $1,000 each. They are Reynolds Aguilar, Alexander High School; Danielle Hutchings, Douglas County High School; Carrie Green, Lithia Springs High School; and Allyson Perry, New Manchester High School.
Gold’s Gym began partnering with PET in 2009 to offer Leadership Scholarships. Three 2012 graduating seniors from high schools in the Douglas County School System each received $1,100 each. They are: Haley Godwin, Alexander High School; Nick Spencer, Alexander High School; and Jennifer Weems, Chapel Hill High School.
PET established the Don Remillard Scholarship through community donations in 2010 to honor the retiring superintendent’s 38-year career in Douglas County. The Don Remillard Scholarship is designated for students who graduate from the Performance Learning Center (PLC), a non-traditional high school program. The recipients for 2011-2012 are De’Mario Blackwell and Javian Jeffries. Their scholarship award was in the amount of $500.00 each.
The Nora McDonald Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 to honor the memory of Ms. Nora McDonald by funding scholarships for Douglas County School System seniors upon their graduation from the College and Career Institute (CCI). Ms. McDonald served as the Office Manager at the CCI from 2009 until the time of her death in 2011. Elizabeth Sligh and Dontevian Toler were recipients for 2011-2012 and received $250 each.
PET funds Classroom Initiative Mini-Grants each year to help teachers implement special projects beyond those funded by the Douglas County School System. A total of $11,100.52 in mini-grants was awarded by PET to over 25 teachers in 10 schools for use in 2012-2013. Among the projects funded by the grants were: Making the Most of Math, Strengthen Our Core Collection with new Nonfiction Books, and Learning with a Mobigo at Dorsett Shoals Elementary School; TIME for Kids and 21st Century Instruction/Therapy at Holly Springs Elementary School; Engaging and Enriching the 21st Century Reader at Mason Creek Elementary School; Book Charms For Reading, Part II and Bring It To Life Book Club at South Douglas Elementary School; Hands on Math Achievement for Math Master at Winston Elementary School; Outstanding Math Guide for All at Factory Shoals Middle School; FIT LIT – Unlimited Access eBooks, Unlimited Access eBooks – Biographies; and Let’s Get Physical at Mason Creek Middle School; Dictionaries for Literacy at Alexander High School; Buzz in Your Answer, Please at Lithia Springs High School; and Real-Life Connections at New Manchester High School.
PET, in cooperation with Dr. Sam Haskell, has offered the Dr. Sam Haskell Technology Innovation Grant for two years. The following two projects were funded in the amount of $500 each: Remediation Reading Using Technology at Bill Arp Elementary School and E-Books in the Classroom at Fairplay Middle School.
The PET Board is chaired by Mr. Terry Hardy, President/CEO of MembersFirst Credit Union. Other board members are Terry Baggett, Charles Branson, Athena Bryant, Sissy Bunch, Marian Dowland, Henry Mitchell, Don Pollard, Don Remillard, Rollins Walker, Tim Williams, and James Wilson.
If you are interested in making a donation or learning more about the Public Education Trust, Inc., please visit their website at www.douglaspubliceducationtrust.org or contact Douglas County School System Community Relations Director Karen Stroud, 770.651.2037or karen.stroud@douglas.k12.ga.us.
