Alpine ISD Selected for $1M Stronger Connections Grant

Alpine Independent School District was recently announced as a recipient of a $1M grant focused on fostering student wellness and belonging. Alpine ISD was one of 90 school districts from across Texas selected for the two-year Stronger Connections Grant from the Texas Education Agency through a competitive application process.

Earlier this year, Alpine ISD campus counselors Emily Hendryx, Adrienne Reyes, and Sandra Alvidrez helped develop the grant application in consultation with Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rinehart.

“Through this grant, Alpine ISD plans to become the best-resourced school district in the Big Bend area in terms of student belonging, wellness, and success,” said Rinehart. “Through behavior programs, character education, counseling services, wellness centers, and wraparound supports, this grant will make big investments in the wellness of our students, staff, and community.”

As part of this grant, Alpine ISD will develop a district-wide student support program focused on mental wellness, resilience, and belonging. By addressing student wellness, the grant is designed to help decrease chronic absenteeism and incidents of bullying and harassment, while increasing attendance and state assessment results.

“Having the tools needed to address mental health should not be something someone has to go through on their own,” said Alpine High School Counselor Sandra Alvidrez. “Rather, if we can bring that into our schools, then we as a community are already doing a small part to help our kids learn to utilize coping skills.”

Based on initial grant information, Alpine ISD plans to use grant funds for school counselors, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), and School Resource Officers (SROs) to provide robust supports for students and staff. Additionally, the grant will fund wellness and recreation centers on each campus, which could include new playground equipment, outdoor learning spaces, and more.

“The Stronger Connections grant will prove to be incredibly beneficial moving forward, especially in light of recent financial struggles that rural schools are facing,” said Alpine Elementary School Counselor Emily Hendryx. “This grant will be divided between the elementary, middle, and high school, and we have big plans for all three campuses.”

This grant will bring a much-needed infusion of capital into the district, which currently ranks in the bottom 2% in funding per student need in Texas. Alpine ISD leaders see this grant as an opportunity to expand services locally, while showing what’s possible in adequately funded rural schools.

“This opportunity helps us build on past successes here in Alpine ISD to create a statewide model for how rural school districts can serve as the center of their communities,” Rinehart said. “It’s yet another avenue through which we can serve our students and community well, while helping improve rural education across Texas.”

The grant begins on November 15 with a 10-month planning process to design and launch a new student support program for the 2024-25 school year.