(JACKSON, MS, June 27, 2023) Parents for Public Schools (PPS) has been awarded a $45,000 grant from the Elias Foundation. The Foundation’s sole mission is to promote a more equitable and progressive society by supporting the development of emerging grassroots leaders and their organizations. The Elias Foundation has created a fund in honor of Lutonya Russell-Humes who is currently serving as the treasurer of the PPS National Board of Directors. PPS is pleased to be a recipient of a grant from that fund and sincerely thanks Ms. Russell-Humes for her support. The grant will be disbursed over three years beginning in fiscal year 2022-23.
When asked about this grant being created in her honor, Hughes states, “I was honored to have the Elias Foundation create a discretionary fund in my name for my distribution to organizations I support. As a relatively new board member of PPS, I have been impressed with how the various chapters and the national office have been at the forefront of helping parents build the tools they need to ensure that ALL children receive an equitable education. Given the current assault on public education, this work is more critical than ever! I would have been remised as a board member to have these resources at my disposal and not use them for PPS. We have a hard fight ahead to reverse the antiquated cuts and policy changes we’ve seen over the last 3-4 years. It is all hands on deck! Starting with the board!”
About Parents for Public Schools
Parents for Public Schools, Inc. is a nonpartisan nonprofit that began in Mississippi more than 30 years ago by parents who organized to support public schools. Since its founding in 1991, PPS has become a diverse, national organization of community-based chapters whose mission is to advance the role of parents and communities in securing a high-quality public education for every child.