SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Results are in, and seven Spanish Fort High School educators have nabbed nine grants totaling nearly $12,000 to enhance classroom instruction for the

The funds, awarded each spring through the Spanish Fort Educational Enrichment Foundation’s mini-grant program, are intended to augment existing programs and even introduce new programs not typically funded by the Baldwin County Board of Education’s traditional funding mechanisms.

SFHS Principal Beverly Spondike said the funding infusion could not have come at a better time for boosting morale because when the grants were presented quietly in early March, system employees countywide were awaiting the outcome of a proposed 1-percent sales tax referendum on March 23.

The referendum was approved by voters and is expected to generate an additional $25 million per year for three years in local revenue for schools countywide to offset budget shortfalls at the state and local levels. Beverly Spondike said the classroom grants hit a little closer to home because there is an immediate gratification that benefits students directly.

“Our teachers are committed to providing the highest-quality instruction for our students, every day, and the foundation’s annual grant program is instrumental in achieving that goal. We are very grateful to (SFEEF) for their generosity, and we are proud of our teachers for showing initiative in applying for these grants,” Spondike said.

Pick up the April 8 Spanish Fort Sun for a complete listing of SFHS mini-grant recipients.