10/09/2026
Congratulations to our innovative teachers.
The Bulloch County Foundation for Public Education (Foundation) awarded more than $14,000 in Innovation Grants to 11 teacher projects to benefit students during the Bulloch County Board of Education’s regular session on October 8.
The Foundation received 43 grant requests this fall. Teachers submitted their project plans, information about how it benefits students, how it would be evaluated, a budget and funding amount request. The Foundations’s five-member grant committee selected the recipients based on their rubric scores of 90 and above out of a possible 100 points.
Since 2006, the Foundation has funded nearly 335 innovative teacher projects which have invested more than $420,600 in our school district’s classrooms for additional student instructional opportunities and experiences.
Donations to the Foundation through payroll deduction, one-time gifts or participation in fundraisers like the Statesboro 5K Turkey Trot make this funding possible.
These are this year’s grant recipients:
1. Alea Lacy, Mandy Beasley, Rosario Rubio, Brenda Millican of Statesboro High School, Southeast Bulloch High School, Portal Middle High School for their project to benefit students who receive English for Speakers of Other Languages services: Amplifying Voices: Building Speaking Confidence Through Podcasting for $1,007.36;
2. Amy Smith and Danielle Jackson for William James Middle School’s and Gifted students. Ignite Discovery: Transforming Middle Schoolers into Real-World Problem Solvers for $1,195;
3. Ansley Mays, Literacy Coach at Brooklet Elementary: Literacy Lockers for $1,495.15;
4. Brandon Poole, Seventh-Grade Life Science Teacher at Southeast Bulloch Middle School: From Scrap to State: Equipping Science Olympiad Team for Championship Success for $1,500;
5. Brittany Miller, 9th-11th Grade Self-Contained Special Education Teacher at Statesboro High School: Navigating Your Way to Independence: From Classroom to Community for $1,500;
6. DeeDee Bennett, Literacy Coach at Portal Elementary: Project Binge-Read: Swapping Screens for Series in the Media Center Literacy Lab for $1,440;
7. Isaac Brown, 6th-8th Grade Band and Music Appreciation teacher at William James Middle School: Equipping the Future: A Technology-Enhanced Band Room for $1,463.91;
8. John Hendrix, Engineering Teacher for Grades 6 to 12 at Portal Middle High: Seeing the Unseen: Engineering Tools for Scientific Discovery for $1,495;
9. Josh Hall, Construction teacher for grades 9 to 12 at Statesboro High: Hammer Time for $1,500;
10. Patty Johnson and Jessica Anderson, Special Education Teachers at William James Middle School: "Swing, Grow & Thrive: Creating an Inclusive Outdoor Space for Every Ability" for $658.27; and
11. Rachel Murray and Natalie Mincey, special education teachers at Sallie Zetterower Elementary: Regulate to Educate: Unlocking Classroom Access Through Sensory Support for $1,281.93.
