PAFE received Idaho Future Fund grant

A Bonner County nonprofit has received a $3,000 grant in support of a Lake Pend Oreille School District reading program.

The Idaho Community Foundation announced Tuesday that the Panhandle Alliance for Education Inc. was awarded the grant to support the Ready to Read program, which benefits first-grade students in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

The grant was among more than nearly $300,000 given this year by the Idaho Future Fund.

The Idaho Future Fund, established in 2015 by an anonymous couple in Blaine County, is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 grant cycle. This year, the Fund will distribute nearly $300,000 to nonprofit organizations across Idaho, aiming to bridge critical gaps in educational programs from preschool through 12th grade.

The Idaho Future Fund was created to address the increasing challenges faced by educational institutions due to the decline in adequate funding models to support the needs of Idaho’s school districts. These grants will enable organizations to sustain, expand, and create essential educational programs.

Grants given by the fund fall into four categories — preschool access, charter schools, public schools and public school libraries, and supplemental educational programs.

Fund officials said that despite a 16.4% funding increase in 2023, Idaho's K-12 schools face a potential $115 million shortfall without a temporary State Board of Education rule change. The fund seeks to alleviate these challenges by providing targeted support.

Information: idahocf.org