WARSAW — Within a week of experiencing electrical issues that left students migrating from Lakeview Middle School to the Baker Youth Club in Warsaw, good news is on the horizon. The Indiana Department of Education has announced a federal school improvement grant program for eight Indiana schools today — and Lakeview is amongst them.

The grants, totaling over $8 million, were awarded on a basis of which schools demonstrated the highest need for additional funds, as well as a commitment to use the aforementioned funds to raise achievement in “low performing schools.” Lakeview Middle School will receive a total of $723,100 to be utilized for improvements.

“I am happy to announce the recipients of the School Improvement Grant,” stated Glenda Ritz, Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, in a press release from the IDOE. “Today’s grantees have shown a commitment to improving student performance. As a classroom teacher, I understand the importance of providing additional resources to students in our lowest performing schools; that is why I created the Division of Outreach for School Improvement which provides high quality support to all schools in Indiana. As superintendent, I am committed to ensuring that all Hoosier students have access to the resources and supports that they need in order to be successful both in and outside the classroom.”

The School Improvement Grants that were announced today are commonly referred to as 1003(g) grants. The total amount awarded to Indiana schools is more than $8 million over the next five years.  Funds must be used to implement one of six federally approved school improvement models.  These grants are fully funded by the federal government.

Other recipients of improvement grants included schools in Kokomo, Evansville, Indianapolis and beyond.