Schools

Southland College Prep Receives Walton Family Foundation Grant


Southland Prep check
Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, from left, Dr. Deborah Bordelon, Alicia Rodman McCray, Ron Bean, and Curtis Cheers, display a replica of the grant check from the Walton Family Foundation to Southland. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)

Southland College Prep Charter High School, the only charter school in the southern suburbs of Chicago, has received a $250,000 start up grant from the Walton Family Foundation, according to a press release issued Tuesday.

Southland opened its doors to a class of 125 freshmen in August. The Illinois State Board of Education approved the school’s charter for a five-year period and 500 students. Southland will add 125 students each year to reach the 500 mark for the four year high school.

“We are extremely grateful to the Walton Family for this grant,” said Dr. Blondean Y. Davis. “The Foundation sought to partner with Southland because it believed the school offered a viable public school option to the people of our community. The school is in its infancy, but it has a close knit faculty and student body, and a rigorous curriculum. We know Southland will make a difference in children’s high school education and prepare them for success in college. This grant will support us in our endeavors.”

The release says the Walton Family Foundation is committed to improving K-12 student achievement in the United States in all schools – traditional public, charter public and private. The Foundation aims to accomplish this result by supporting the infusion of parent choice into America’s K-12 education system. When all families have a choice of the schools they will attend, the Foundation believes that all schools are more likely to respond by continuously improving performance and embracing innovations that make them more efficient and productive. As a result, student achievement will rise dramatically and all schools will improve, enriching student lives and positioning America to thrive in the global economy.


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