Mackay Elementary School Receives Grant from Lowe's To Install New Playground Equipment on October 6 2012

Mackay Finds Creative Ways to Balance School Budget

Reported by: Phil Campbell

Email: pcampbell@kpvi.com

Published: 9/19 5:45 pm

Updated: 9/19 10:17 pm

Things are tough in many of our school districts. Superintendents throughout the state are trying to balance their budgets with shrinking funds and increased demands for new technology. Fortunately, there are still ways to get the job done; you just have to be a little creative.

 “Things have become a lot more challenging for schools and for school districts, particularly with changes in the economy, all of the changes that are occurring in education, and school districts have had to be creative,” said Superintendent Karen Pyron of the Mackay School District.

The Superintendent isn’t joking when she says creative. With one of the smallest tax bases around, it’s hard to go to the residents for additional funding.

“Mackay is also in a situation where over 90 percent of the property in Mackay is federally owned,” said Superintendent Pyron. “So any time, for example, a supplemental levy is run, it only has a base of approximately eight-percent of which to draw.”

With the help of a very strong ally, the school district of less than 200 students has been able to secure nearly half a million dollars in grant money. The grants have helped repair the elementary school’s leaking roof, fix a cafeteria floor, and replace chalkboards with interactive whiteboards.

It was just announced that the Mackay School District has been awarded $100,000 from Lowe’s to update their school playground, replace the carpeting throughout both schools, and fund a few basic school equipment needs.

“Having grants like this just provides incredible opportunities that these students would not otherwise have and resources for the teachers that simply would not be available any other way,” said Superintendent Pyron.

The school playground installation will be done Saturday, October 6^th, 2012. Workers from the Idaho Falls Lowe’s store will be on hand to help construct it and they could use some volunteers. Let's get out and help Lowe's!

Candace Larsen has written many of the Mackay School grants, but wants to remain behind the scene - thank you Candace for your hard work.