The Carson City School District, on behalf of the Carson City Schools Foundation (CCSF), is pleased to announce mini and department grant winners for Spring 2026. Each semester, CCSF gives back to educators and students alike. This last semester, the foundation awarded a total of $10,295 in mini-grants as well as grants for department, school or grade-level projects.

Additionally, the foundation donated $4,000 ($500 to the two middle and six elementary schools) for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) rewards at each school. PBIS is an evidence-based, three-tiered framework used by schools to create safe, predictable and positive environments by teaching and reinforcing expected behaviors. It improves school climate, reduces exclusionary discipline and increases academic performance by focusing on proactive strategies rather than punishments.

Of the 35 applications received, 20 grants were awarded. In total, the foundation contributed nearly $58,000 in mini, grade-level and school or department grants and PBIS rewards for the 2025-2026 school year and nearly $200,000 to students and educators since 2017.

The Spring 2026 mini-grant winners include the following alphabetically by last name:

  • Bonnie Benson, Fritsch Elementary School, $160 for supplies for “Space Exploration Literacy STEM” bins.
  • Kathy Dilger, Eagle Valley Middle School, $300 for books – “Fighting for Freedom Along the Underground Railroad: An Interactive Look at History.”
  • Kimberly Dodge, Empire Elementary School, $300 for a bundle of three Literacy Speaks card sets.
  • Donna Harker, Bordewich Bray School, $250 for Night Sky Reading supplies.
  • Jaclyn Henley, Seeliger Elementary School, $300 for gardening club supplies, including soil, soil amendments, seeds, plant tags, small plastic pots and grow lights.
  • January Hulbert, Mark Twain Elementary School, $300 for third graders to visit the Discovery Museum in Reno for a trip to the Brick Masters Studio.
  • Casandra Mellow, Carson High School, $150 to provide approximately 30 students with simple, shelf-stable snacks, to help them stay focused during the optional P9 After-School Credit Recovery class.
  • Toni Nielsen, Seeliger Elementary School, $300 for shelving for STEAM projects.
  • Rachael Overstreet, Eagle Valley Middle School, $300 for National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) resources for student leadership development and school-wide service projects.
  • Amy Riddle, Eagle Valley Middle School, $300 for a tablecloth, banner for the compost education table and additional craft supplies for the Green Biz Kids program.
  • Kristin Steinkraus, Carson High School Silver Campus, $300 for park benches and chair building supplies, including lumber, wood stain/water seal, sandpaper, deck screws and other materials/tools as needed, depending on designs.
  • Jojo Thatcher, Carson High School, $150 for single-serve snacks and shelf-stable food items for CHS Special Education students in grades 9–12 who face food insecurity or intermittent access to nutritious snacks.
  • Pat Wiggins, Empire Elementary School, $300 for 125 custom-printed drawstring backpacks for the “Bilingual Book-pack” checkout system.

The Spring 2026 school, grade-level or department grant winners include the following alphabetically by last name:

  • Tammy Borremans, Carson Middle School, $500 for supplies for Family Cooking Night.
  • Mirjam Caster, Carson Middle School, $500 for a new Manga Series for the CMS Library.
  • Russ Munyan, Carson High School, $1,400 for a Silent Disco system.
  • Rachael Overstreet, Eagle Valley Middle School, $2,000 for supplies for the Sprouting Success program.
  • Laura Ricks, Empire Elementary School, $1,200 for supplies for the “Growing Sustainable Futures” program.
  • Maria Shiffer, Fremont Elementary School, $350 for supplies for a “Student and Family Engagement” program about College and Career Preparedness and STEAM career exploration.
  • Jackie Smith, Seeliger Elementary School, $935 for a field trip to the Discovery Museum.

Members of the CCSF Board of Directors are volunteers from the community who devote their time and talents to developing opportunities to support the creativity of Carson City School District students, teachers and staff. Those members include Jon Hager, board president; Keith Squires, secretary; Casey Gilles, treasurer; Jennifer Allen, board member; Patty Chang, board member; Gary Lyon, board member; Jennifer Mahe, Esq., board member; Dave Ponczoch, board member; Steve Reynolds, board member and Richard Stokes, board member. If you are interested in putting your talents and passion into the Carson City public school system and work as a member of the CCSF board, emailinfo@ccschoolsfoundation.org.

CCSF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting community involvement and investment in the public schools of Carson City. This project is one of the many results of the “Empower Carson City 2027″ Strategic Plan – a five-year strategic plan for extraordinary schools built by the community of Carson City.

CCSF was created to increase student achievement through philanthropic investment and involvement. Established by the Carson City School District’s Board of Trustees, the foundation promotes education programs that traditional funding sources may not be able to reach.

For more information about the CCSF, please visit ccschoolsfoundation.org. To make a contribution with your credit card, click here, or you may also donate by sending a check to the Carson City Schools Foundation at P.O. Box 92, Carson City, Nevada 89702. To view an informational video, please click here.