DeSoto ISD Receives $7.8M GEAR UP Grant
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson was on hand to congratulate and present a check to DeSoto ISD on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education representing the $7.8M the district will be receiving through the GEAR UP grant.
DeSoto ISD was only one of two Texas institutions and the ONLY K-12 Texas district to receive the prestigious GEAR UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education. GEAR UP – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs – awarded 41 new grants valued at $82M per year. Grants are awarded in two types – partnerships and state grants.
DeSoto ISD will receive $7.8M over the next seven years to serve a cohort of 6th and 7th graders through their first year of college. The program is aimed at at-risk, underserved, low-income, students of color to prepare for college and achieve success in postsecondary education.
DeSoto ISD Board Members, DeSoto Mayor Carl Sherman, SBOE Member Mavis Knight, representatives from Rep. Giddings and Sen. West offices, plus city council members and additional guests, along with cohort students from all three middle schools, attended the special event.
