Hopkins County Schools Invited to Apply for Gillis Foundation Grants

Although the deadline for applications for Grants to Schools is December 20, 2018, the application is online and ready to be completed by schools in Hopkins County that desire to apply for one of the 2019 grants from the John and Deborah Gillis Foundation. Information regarding application has been sent to each school district. 

A total of $100,000 in grants over a three-year period will be awarded annually to qualifying schools to support instructional programs, staff development and other initiatives that align with the foundation’s mission.

The John and Deborah Gillis Foundation will also provide 10 annual Bright Stars Scholarships to seniors graduating from any of the seven high schools in Hopkins County, beginning in Spring 2019. The scholarships will be in the amount of $4,000 per semester, renewable for up to eight semesters — making it the largest single scholarship program in the county. The 10 annual scholarships will be aimed at students who are economically disadvantaged and who may be first-generation college students.

School campuses and students from the seven districts in Hopkins County which are eligible for the Bright Star Scholarships and Grants to Schools program include Cumby, Como-Pickton, Miller Grove, North Hopkins, Saltillo, Sulphur Bluff and Sulphur Springs. The first Grants to Schools will be issued in February 2019, while the deadline for the Bright Star Scholarships is March 30, 2019.

The foundation was developed and supported by the Sulphur Springs couple and will be managed by former teacher and educational consultant Robin Shrode. All three are Sulphur Springs High School graduates. Gillis, who is Chairman/CEO of Gillis Holdings, Inc., is a fifth-generation Hopkins County native.

Author: Staff Reporter

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