'Teaching Tools' for Title 1 Schools Gets Funding Boost

Greater Brandon area schools that serve high percentages of children living in or near the federal poverty line will benefit indirectly from the money raised at a Sept. 19 breakfast for the Teaching Tools for Hillsborough Schools program run by the Hillsborough Education Foundation.

Teaching Tools provides free school supplies year-round to the teachers and students of the 110 Title 1 schools and educational sites in the Hillsborough County School District.

A Title I school is designated as such based on the percentage of students who qualify for the federal free or reduced-price meal program.

More than 400 business leaders and philanthropists attended this year's Teaching Tools Breakfast, which raised more than $120,000 for the program based on individual and corporate pledge and a dollar-for-dollar match fromt eh Leadership Tampa Bay Foundation, according to Roselle Cronan, marketing manager for the Hillsborough Education Foundation.

"Some problems can't be solved immediately," said Hillsborough Education Foundation President Phil Jones, in a news release about the event. “Some problems can’t be solved immediately. But giving a child school supplies to be successful in school is something that can be done today.”

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Five Things To Know About Teaching Tools for Title 1 Schools

According to Cronan:

• Teachers in the district’s most economically disadvantaged schools and education sites can “shop” at no cost for school supplies for their students at the Teaching Tools store.

• The program saves teachers thousands of out-of-pocket dollars and gives each student the tools they need.

• More than 3,000 teachers shopped last year at Teaching Tools. The program distributed $1.8 million in free school supplies.

• Since opening, the Foundation has provided nearly $12 million in free school supplies to teachers and students.

• To learn more about how you can donate to the Teaching Tools program, visit www.educationfoundation.com.

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Online nformation about Title 1 schools is provided by the Hillsborough County School District. Included is a list of schools, contact numbers and information about how a Title 1 school is designated.