The Mountain Education Foundation (MEF) announced a historic achievement in its ongoing mission to support education excellence within the Signal community. Thanks to continued donor support, MEF will grant a record-breaking $625,000 to Nolan Elementary, Thrasher Elementary, and Signal Mountain Middle/High School for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. This allocation marks a 7.11% increase from last year and equates to $230 per student.
Over the past seven years, MEF has made key strategic decisions for sustainability and growth, leading to greater investments in our schools. Annual grants to Signal Mountain schools have increased two and a half times, reaching this record-setting $625,000. Additionally, average annual fundraising has tripled, and the MEF endowment balance has grown sixfold.
Importantly, MEF operates with 0% overhead, ensuring that every dollar donated directly benefits students.
“We are thrilled to announce another increase in grants to Signal schools, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth! This is possible thanks to several milestone achievements in recent years, along with continued donor support from our community,” shared MEF Executive Director Hilarie Robison.
This year, MEF will implement a new three-part grant funding structure, designed to provide more targeted, equitable, and responsive support to the three Signal Mountain schools. The new process offers a balanced approach, supporting both school-level priorities and parent-identified needs, while also encouraging innovation through competitive opportunities.
School grants include two layers of funding, both allocated directly to school principals to support key school-level priorities:
Core/Salary Grant: A fixed amount of $155 per student, committed each spring. This funding provides dependable support for essential teaching positions and academic programming. These funds are not variable year to year and allow principals to plan staffing and resources with confidence.
Discretionary Grant: MEF’s remaining grant funds vary annually depending on contributions received during the year. Like Core grants, discretionary funds are also distributed per pupil and used at each principal’s discretion to meet additional school-specific needs. This flexible funding can support a wide range of programs and resources based on evolving school priorities.
In recent years, MEF school grants have been used to support staff and curriculum in areas such as STEM, Spanish, technology, tutoring, and academic intervention, resources not covered by public funding alone.
Additionally, MEF grants funds to PTA and PTSA organizations.
PTA/PTSA Grant: These discretionary grants, distributed per pupil, are used to support initiatives identified by parent organizations, in collaboration with school leadership.
This shared decision-making process ensures that MEF funding reflects the values and goals of the broader school community, including parents and donors.
Each school determines their own priorities and needs for MEF funding, submitting requests for how they intend to utilize their MEF grant funding to benefit students in our community’s aim for education excellence beyond what public funding provides. MEF does not dictate how schools should use the funding, and hence there are differences in what is funded at each school.
With a total funding of $625,000, Signal Mountain reaffirms its commitment to supporting the growth and success of our students. The MEF Board and staff extend a special thank you to our entire community for their dedication, which directly impacts our children’s lives every day. This funding helps further MEF’s mission to elevate minds, empower futures, and cultivate a thriving Signal Mountain community through education and resources that inspire whole-life success.
“We are honored to provide these resources to our Signal Mountain schools, thanks to the generosity of our donors,” said MEF Board Chair Doug Griswold. “The 150% growth in MEF grants since 2018-19 is truly remarkable and a testament to the strength of our community’s support. We are grateful for this continued investment in our students and look forward to expanding opportunities for them in the years ahead.”
by Emily Odeh
Over the past seven years, MEF has made key strategic decisions for sustainability and growth, leading to greater investments in our schools. Annual grants to Signal Mountain schools have increased two and a half times, reaching this record-setting $625,000. Additionally, average annual fundraising has tripled, and the MEF endowment balance has grown sixfold.
Importantly, MEF operates with 0% overhead, ensuring that every dollar donated directly benefits students.
“We are thrilled to announce another increase in grants to Signal schools, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth! This is possible thanks to several milestone achievements in recent years, along with continued donor support from our community,” shared MEF Executive Director Hilarie Robison.
This year, MEF will implement a new three-part grant funding structure, designed to provide more targeted, equitable, and responsive support to the three Signal Mountain schools. The new process offers a balanced approach, supporting both school-level priorities and parent-identified needs, while also encouraging innovation through competitive opportunities.
School grants include two layers of funding, both allocated directly to school principals to support key school-level priorities:
Core/Salary Grant: A fixed amount of $155 per student, committed each spring. This funding provides dependable support for essential teaching positions and academic programming. These funds are not variable year to year and allow principals to plan staffing and resources with confidence.
Discretionary Grant: MEF’s remaining grant funds vary annually depending on contributions received during the year. Like Core grants, discretionary funds are also distributed per pupil and used at each principal’s discretion to meet additional school-specific needs. This flexible funding can support a wide range of programs and resources based on evolving school priorities.
In recent years, MEF school grants have been used to support staff and curriculum in areas such as STEM, Spanish, technology, tutoring, and academic intervention, resources not covered by public funding alone.
Additionally, MEF grants funds to PTA and PTSA organizations.
PTA/PTSA Grant: These discretionary grants, distributed per pupil, are used to support initiatives identified by parent organizations, in collaboration with school leadership.
This shared decision-making process ensures that MEF funding reflects the values and goals of the broader school community, including parents and donors.
Each school determines their own priorities and needs for MEF funding, submitting requests for how they intend to utilize their MEF grant funding to benefit students in our community’s aim for education excellence beyond what public funding provides. MEF does not dictate how schools should use the funding, and hence there are differences in what is funded at each school.
With a total funding of $625,000, Signal Mountain reaffirms its commitment to supporting the growth and success of our students. The MEF Board and staff extend a special thank you to our entire community for their dedication, which directly impacts our children’s lives every day. This funding helps further MEF’s mission to elevate minds, empower futures, and cultivate a thriving Signal Mountain community through education and resources that inspire whole-life success.
“We are honored to provide these resources to our Signal Mountain schools, thanks to the generosity of our donors,” said MEF Board Chair Doug Griswold. “The 150% growth in MEF grants since 2018-19 is truly remarkable and a testament to the strength of our community’s support. We are grateful for this continued investment in our students and look forward to expanding opportunities for them in the years ahead.”
by Emily Odeh
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