For More Information, Contact:
Gary Henderson
CISNT Executive Director
P.O. Box 295543
Lewisville, Texas 75029-5543
972.436.6377 Office Phone
972.436.6770 Office Fax
ghenderson@cisnt.org
www.cisnt.org Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Communities In Schools of North Texas receives grants from the federal Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act fund

Six grants totaling in excess of $200,000 to be used towards Safe and Drug Free programs at north Texas schools

Lewisville , TX - October 4, 2005: Communities in Schools of North Texas (CISNT) is pleased to announce they have received new and renewal funding for critical programs at several area schools. These grants are awarded under the federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Fund and are distributed by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division (CJD).

“Without this funding, we wouldn’t be able to continue our work of providing opportunities for success to at-risk students in north Texas,” says Gary Henderson, Executive Director of CISNT. “Each county and campus has a unique set of needs, so these six grants are deployed differently throughout north Texas.” CISNT Programs covered by these grants include case management services to at-risk students, academic achievement support, truancy prevention, mentoring and programs that address gangs, drugs and character development.

The grants, ranging from $25,000 to nearly $40,000 will be used to deploy or continue CISNT programming at Hedrick Middle School, Central Elementary, Lakeland Elementary, Peters Colony Elementary in Lewisville ISD and Calhoun Middle School in Denton ISD. “We were able to serve over 1,200 at-risk students last year with a 99.7% effective rate,” says Henderson of these programs. “This funding will enable us to continue to provide these programs that the children rely upon, and expand to other campuses where we can reach more kids.” Our goals for the 2005-2006 school year are to serve over 2,000 students by delivering near 130,000 hours of case management services – by the end of the school year, we are targeting to deliver over 240,000 services across Denton and Wise counties.

Communities In Schools of North Texas is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on helping young people stay in school and prepare for life. As a community-based organization, CISNT facilitates the connection of community resources with schools, families and students. This link between schools and communities allows educators to focus on teaching, students to focus on learning, and gives the community the opportunity to provide necessary on-campus services ranging from counseling to educational enrichment to employment training. For more information, please call 972-436-6377.

-30-