Pennsbury is one of six school districts in Bucks and Montgomery counties that each received a $35,000 PAsmart targeted grant to enhance computer science classes and staff development. Jessica Perfetto, Applied Engineering & Technology Education Curriculum Coordinator for Pennsbury, applied for the grant on behalf of the School District. “This grant will support Pennsbury middle schools and the AE & TE department in introducing Project Lead the Way curriculum at the 6th-8th grade levels,” said Ms. Perfetto. “With a District focus on STEM, Pennsbury elementary schools introduced a K‑5 STEM course called SPARK in 2019–2020. This grant will provide the opportunity for students to continue to develop age-appropriate STEM skills in middle school before they have the opportunity to take courses such as Robotics & Coding, Engineering, and Product Design at Pennsbury High School.”
Another recent grant award will bring a new convection oven to the cafeteria kitchen at Penn Valley Elementary School. The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated $30 million to state agencies to competitively award equipment assistance grants to eligible School Food Authorities participating in the School Nutrition Program. Pennsylvania awarded $925,473 to 72 schools across the state. “Here in Pennsbury, we reviewed our food service capital needs assessment with the Board Finance/Partnership Committee in September,” said Pennsbury CFO, Christopher Berdnik. “Aligning our infrastructure needs to the grant criteria, the Business Office/Financial Services team submitted applications for three schools. The Commonwealth prioritized schools based on student needs. We are grateful for the Commonwealth’s support and anxious to replace this infrastructure at Penn Valley.”