January 11, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
DeKalb County School System has received a grant of $15,400.00 from UTrust .
Michelle Burklow, Supervisor of Instruction for DeKalb County Schools, applied for the grant. She wrote, “While undergoing changes in the educational world, employees must feel needed and important, part of a bigger picture. We want to create a positive work environment and show the employees that each one of them have a vital role in education. These funds will allow our school district to show appreciation and recognize the hard work of our employees.”
DeKalb County Superintendent of Schools, Patrick Cripps said, “We are fortunate to have an outstanding school staff and we very much want them to know how much they are appreciated. Our school board also appreciates our staff and we want to provide an opportunity for the board and staff to interact with each other.”
Cripps continued “We are grateful to Utrust for providing funds for our school system so that we will be able to provide tangible evidence we appreciate every employee of DeKalb County Schools. We’re fortunate to find funds that do not come from taxpayers of DeKalb County for this project.”
Dr. Dan Tollett, Utrust Administrator said, “We are pleased that Utrust is able to fund small projects that will make a big difference. We believe these projects will make a big difference to staff members in DeKalb County Schools. We appreciate Ms. Burklow, submitting this request. We welcome the opportunity to be a part of this project because it is all about appreciating school employees.”
Utrust is an organization that assists school systems in Tennessee with unemployment issues and in recognizing, supporting and appreciating school employees. It sponsors the Utrust Appreciation Program, a student leadership program that seeks to help students recognize and express appreciation to people who make their lives better each day.