Paris ISD Participates In An Incentive Based Grant

Paris ISD, along with other area schools, will be participating in an incentive-based grant that will benefit Lamar County Schools and Businesses. The total amount of funds for this grant is $180,000. This program will run for three years or until funds run out. Year one will budget $75,000 in initial startup money and any outcome bonuses or incentive bonuses earned during the 23-24 school year. They will evenly disperse any funds remaining after the 2025-2026 school year between the training facilities.

“Paris ISD has been fortunate to have received this grant, which will assist in ensuring that our facilities have the necessary items such as materials, consumables, and equipment for our welding program,” stated Paris ISD CTE Director Kelly Stapleton. “We are thankful to all the sponsors and businesses who have provided support to make this possible. Through this grant, we will be able to prepare our students for future employment better. In addition, there have been incentives for the student and the training facility to receive outcome bonus incentives for each student/employee longevity.”

Training facilities in Lamar County will have the opportunity to participate in this competitive incentive program. This program is open to any Lamar County Welding/Agriculture Mechanics Program. This grant was made possible by the Community Investment Program (CIP), Paris Economic Development Corp. (PEDC), and Delco Trailers. The goal of this grant is to update and equip training sites for industry certifications, provide funding for a multi-year grant program, reward training sites with high success rates of workforce placement, provide workers with initial training and startup cost of employment in welding/manufacturing, and provide approved businesses with a pipeline of workers with incentives to hire on and remain employed.